The Bet
by TheObsessiveFang
Summary: It all started the day Tenten made a bet with Sakura. Little did she know she had just asked for a first class ticket to heck. But just how far will she go to win? And will she land her guy? NejixTen Main & some slight SasuSaku
1. The Bet

Few Things. 1) I. Do. Not. Own. Naruto. The End. 2) NejiTen is my absolute favorite couple. I just had to write a fic about them:D It's my first one. Be Nice : 3) Sorry for the Lee bashing. I really don't hate him 4) I hate the couple SasuSaku and NaruHina, but decided it'd be more fun to write about :P –evil grin- 5) My grammar stinks. I apologize : 6) Finally….you might find the story a bit cliché, but I always thought it would be fun to involve Tenten in something like this. :DDD

Tenten was 16. She had a best friend named Sakura, a cat named Tenpi, and no parents. She lived with her aunt in a two room apartment and attended school in Konoha. She loved weapons and eating dumplings, and hated wearing girly clothes-especially kimonos. She looked up to the village's Hokage, Tsunade, and was an adamant feminist. Her hair was always pulled into two neat buns, only letting them down to sleep. She had a long-term crush on a certain white-eyed prodigy and made all A's in school. But most importantly, Tenten had never been kissed.

"Hey TenTen?" Sakura asked, inspecting a potato chip she was holding two inches from her face. As if deciding it wasn't poisoned, she popped it in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully before finishing her question.

"Do you realized that neither of us have been kissed? Not only that, but we've never had a _real_ boyfriend. Isn't that a bit….pathetic?"

"Now that you mention it…" Tenten started, forehead creasing and mouth pulled down into a small frown. She flopped back onto Sakura's bed where they were both sitting, eating and talking at Sakura's house like they did most afternoons after the final bell at Konoha Academy. She sighed.

"This is so sad. 16 years and not even a single peck on the lips? What are we, Lee?" They both thought briefly of their large-eyebrowed friend in tight spandex and shivered.

"You know, I think even Lee has kissed someone," Sakura said dejectedly, reaching for another chip. TenTen giggled.

"No chance. With that suit? He makes Speedos look good. Wearing something like that should be considered sexual harassment. And even if he has, it was probably Gai-sensei. And I don't think that counts…" Tenten teased, trying to lighten the mood. Talking about their love lives, no, correction, lack of love lives, wasn't a cheery topic. It worked. Sakura doubled over laughing.

"But, still…we should definitely do something about this. It's just too sad. Look at Ino. I'm sure she has had plenty of make-out sessions. Who knows? Maybe she has even gone all the way. Naruto has Hinata, and I'm sure they've kissed. And who ever expected introverted Hinata to kiss _anyone?_ Naruto,too," Sakura stopped her train of thought to reach under the bed and grab something. She returned to her sitting position with a magazine in her grasp.

"What's that for?" Tenten asked, eyeing the object suspiciously. If she knew Sakura well enough, which she did, then that wasn't a 'Kunoichi Weekly' magazine. It was something majorly girly. As in, kissing how-to, boy tips, makeup guide girly. The kind of tree-killing waste of paper thing Tenten used to fuel her fireplace.

"Sakura…" she warned.

"Chillax, chica. No makeovers….right now, at least," she said, grinning. Tenten gulped, utterly horrified. She considered fleeing from the house while she still had a chance, but figured with Sakura's determination, she'd end up doing whatever it was while TenTen was sleeping.

"I think we should have ourselves a little bet…." She declared suddenly, surprising Tenten with the total irrelevancy.

"A bet?" Tenten questioned, slightly intrigued. "What does that magazine have to do with a bet?"

"Oh, nothing really. I just thought I'd look at these scarves. Winter is coming up, you know," she pointed out sincerely. Tenten sweatdropped, eye twitching slightly. Sakura had totally scared her on purpose.

After a few moments of silence, Tenten coughed.

"So….the bet…?" she prodded, sticking her hand in the bag for a handful of chip crumbs.

"Oh yea," Sakura mused. "Sorry, forgot there. Anyways, I was thinking that we should bet...on who gets their first kiss first". She dragged out the last part for drama. Tenten rolled her eyes.

"C'mon, Sakura. That's stupid. I could go up and kiss any guy on the street right now and win," she sighed, sticking her index finger in her mouth to lick off the salt.

"No! I mean like…our first knee-weakening, world-stopping, heart-melting, fairytale kiss. A real kiss. A _true_ kiss. A kiss…of love," She said dreamily, holding her hands against her face and batting her eyelashes. Tenten stared at her for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Right, Sakura. Riiiighhttt. We're totally going to fall in love with a guy in a few weeks, after we've been with all the same guys for over five years and never dated, let alone kissed, any of them. Good one," she finished, wiping the tears of laughter from her lower lid. Sakura glared at Tenten menacingly.

"I'm totally serious, Tenten," she insisted, using her hands for emphasis. "We can do this. I know it. Not only for competition, but for ourselves. We can't die kiss-less virgins, you know. I would commit suicide before that happened." Tenten wrinkled her nose at the thought.

Sakura nodded. "Exactly."

"Okay," Tenten said, pausing to think it over a final time, "I'm in". She sighed, wondering if she had just made a _huge_ mistake. "What happens to the loser?". Sakura put her finger to her chin in thought.

"Hmm. How about….whoever loses has to wear a suit like Lee's and go out on a date with him. Not only that, but they have to wear the suit all day at school and ask him out in front of everyone," she got more enthusiastic as she went, like she had just thought up the most brilliant dare in the world. Tenten's eyes widened.

"Isn't that a bit….much?" she questioned quietly, kind of scared. Sakura was far prettier. In fact, Tenten had no clue why no one asked her out. Perhaps it was her temper that had been displayed loudly on several occasions (Tenten had a temper, too. However, she had never punched someone all the way to Suna). But at least Sakura had the looks, if not all the personality. Tenten had neither the looks nor the personality. Sakura was going to win. No doubt.

"Nu uh! This will definitely motivate us to find that one special person. Let's say we have…a month. A month to get our first real kiss. And no lies. Promise?" Sakura replied confidently, then held out her pinky towards Tenten. Tenten hesitated, but slowly reached out and wrapped her pinky around her best friend's.

"Promise." Tenten lifted herself off Sakura's bed and dropped softly to the floor. She picked up her backpack and slung it behind her shoulder. "I guess I'm off"

Sakura nodded. "Okay, see you tomorrow. Or should I say, day one of thirty?" she grinned. Tenten said nothing, and instead quickly hurried out of Sakura's house.

"Oh my god, oh my god. I'm so screwed. What have I gotten myself into? I might as well have damned myself to hell. A date with Lee? In a spandex suit? In front of the whole school? Oh my god!! That _is _hell. No. That's _worse_ than hell," she wailed in desperation, once a good distance away from Sakura's. Her eyes were glued to her feet which were quickly moving down the sidewalk.

Suddenly she found herself flying to the ground, back slamming against the rough concrete and backpack being flung somewhere into a neighbor's bushes. Tenten quickly sat up, rubbing her back. She muttered something under her breath and hastily stood.

"Watch where you're going, asshole!" she yelled angrily, looking up to see who had knocked her down. A faint pink blush spread across her cheek as she saw the person grabbing her backpack (which was lodged in firmly amongst the leaves). It was none other than the Hyuuga prodigy, Neji. The one person Tenten had a crush on despite her boyishness and tendency to stray away from any guy relationships, friend or boyfriend. Once the pack was free, Neji held it out to her lazily.

"I wasn't the one looking at my feet muttering things about tight spandex," he said, lifting an eyebrow. She wondered if the eyebrow lifting was about her daring to call him an asshole, or her spandex talk. Tenten's lips came together and her eyes narrowed. She snatched the backpack and threw it back over her shoulder angrily.

"Well if your eyes are so great, then how come you didn't just avoid me you…long-haired blind Barbie…person?!?" she spat, trying to defend her almost non-existent pride. He looked at her for a moment as if questioning her sanity, then chuckled slightly under his breath.

"Long-haired blind Barbie person? Aren't we a genius? How about you admit to your mistake, apologize, and move on like a normal person instead of attempting to insult me?" he asked in a light tone.

"You know what? How about you take your head out of the clouds and shove it up your ass. You just can't take the fact I'm not worshipping you like the rest of your fangirls. As for moving on, I think I'll do that now. So…goodbye!" she finished, pushing past him and running off towards her apartment.

Hyuuga Neji raised his eyebrow again, paused thoughtfully, shrugged, then walked away.

"Interesting…"


	2. The Owed Favor

Again. Do not. Own. Naruto.

* * *

When Tenten got home from her encounter with Neji, the first thing she did was take a Tylenol. Five of them. She wasn't sure if that was considered drug abuse, but she needed it at the moment.

"I can't believe I just dissed Neji. Sure, it wasn't a good diss. And sure, he probably has no feelings _to _hurt. But still! He'll remember that forever. There's no way I can magically seduce him now! He'll remember me as the ugly girl who to him told stick his head up his ass! I'm going to end up kissing a hobo, I just know it," she told herself as she dragged herself upstairs to her bed.

After an hour of wallowing in self pity, TenTen decided she might as well go to sleep and hope to dream about something more pleasant (and hopefully non-Neji related). She undressed and got into her blue nightie, undoing her buns as well. Slipping under the sheets, Tenten had just reached over to turn off her lamp when the phone rang. She sighed. Who the heck could be calling at this hour?

"Hello?" Tenten asked hesitantly, hoping the person on the other end wasn't a telemarketer. They were like devils with phones and phone numbers .

"Hey Tenten? It's Sakura. I know you are probably in bed already, but I just wanted to tell you to come over to my house in the morning. So wake up early," she heard the high-pitched voice say. Sakura sounded excited. Tenten couldn't help but to wonder what hell she was in for the morning. She considered pretending that her alarm didn't go off, thus avoiding Sakura's house entirely, but realized that she was, quite frankly, the worst liar on the face of the earth. Whatever Sakura had in store for her couldn't be worse than an eternal cold shoulder.

"Okay," Tenten mumbled, then hung up. Finally, she turned off the light and flipped onto her side, drifting into a light sleep.

* * *

Tenten woke at five the next morning. School started at seven. She spent half an hour showering, dressing, and fixing her buns, then grabbed her backpack and proceeded to Sakura's house. But before she had even rung the doorbell, Sakura was already swinging the front door open, grin plastered on her face. Tenten wondered how long she had been looking through the curtains watching for her.

"Oh my god, Tenten! You're here! And I was starting to think I'd have to go get you. Come in, quick!" Sakura squealed, then yanked on Tenten's backpack strap, pulling her inside.

"Last night my mom gave me a new makeup kit. I know. Exciting, isn't it?" Sakura gushed. Tenten nodded insincerely, making a note to thank Mrs. Haruno personally later. Upon reaching Sakura's room, the girl practically dove under her bed to drag out a ginormous box. Oh yes. Tenten was in hell.

"If we're going to get guys," she explained, "we need to use makeup. And not like coverup and mascara. That's baby stuff. I mean hardcore adult makeup!" TenTen gulped.

"Sakura, three things. Makeup can't be hardcore. Two, I look like Freddy Kreuger with makeup on. And three, why don't I trust you with this?" she said slowly, worry drowning her voice.

"Relax, Tenten. Close your eyes," Sakura said, whipping out a stick of eyeliner and a huge assortment of eyeshadows. Tenten followed orders and awaited her doom. She felt a pointy pencil continuously stabbing her lower lid and winced. Then she felt the powder being applied above. She waited long after the prodding and pricking had stopped, enduring Sakura's endless 'Hmms' and 'Oohs'.

"Okay, open your eyes now," she said excitedly, then stood with her hands on her waist and head held up high. Tenten opened one eye, then the other, and turned to look at the mirror. A look of utter horror took over her face as she saw her reflection.

Tenten could see where Sakura got her inspiration. Today she was wearing a red Chinese top with gold buttons and golden embroidery along the edges of the cloth. Her legs were covered in jeans, ripped at the knees, and her feet had small gold slipper-like shoes. To pull it all off, Tenten's ears held long, dangling golden dragon earrings. Sakura had tried to compliment the colors by adding a deep pink (practically red) blush to her cheeks, bright red lipstick, gold eyeshadow and almost golden eyeliner (more like dark yellow). It might've looked okay if Sakura hadn't made them so bold and if each side of her face had the same amount of makeup. But neither of those things happened.

"No offense, Sakura, but I take that back. I look like Freddy Kreuger screwed Ronald McDonald and I was the result. Makeup just…isn't my thing," she finished with a sigh, reaching for a makeup remover wipe. After she had cleaned herself up, her face still had a red hue to it. But at least it was…better.

"Suit yourself," Sakura said, surprising Tenten with the casualty of the statement. She had thought for sure Sakura would be offended and hurt. She waited on Sakura's bed for twenty minutes while her friend hovered obsessively in front of the mirror. Finally, she was done.

Tenten picked her backpack up from the corner and started down the stairs, Sakura close behind. They walked to school almost in silence, Sakura too preoccupied with how her makeup looked, and Tenten worrying about seeing Neji again. Luckily for Tenten, she didn't see Neji at the front of school. Oh no. It was much, _much_ worse.

Sakura and Tenten saw their green spandex clad friend a mile before even reaching the school's entrance. He was waiting faithfully for them, looking every direction until he saw them coming up the road.

"Oh great. Lassie's waiting for us, Sakura," Tenten muttered, slowing her pace to a shuffle. Lee, however, starting jumping up and down, screaming their names until they reached his five foot range.

"GOOD MORNING SAKURA AND TENTEN MY YOUTHFUL FLOWERS OF YOUTH. WHY DON'T YOU LOOK YOUTHFUL TODAY? DID YOU GET A YOUTHFUL SLEEP ON YOUR PILLOWS OF LOVE AND SHEETS OF TRUTH? I HOPE YOUR YOUTHFULLY YOUTH LASTS YOU YOUTHFULLY THROUGHOUT THIS YOUTHFULLY YOUTHFUL DAY OF YOUTH!"

Sakura and Tenten stopped, scarred and horrified. Tenten tried to hide her face as everyone turned to see who the bowl-cut freak was yelling at.

"Oh…my…effing…god…" Tenten growled, reaching into her backpack and retrieving a text book to hold in front of her face. Lee was now screaming 'Youth! Youth! Youth! Youth!' over and over again, pumping his arms up and down with each 'Youth'. He was going up and down the concrete stairs and even into other students' faces. They, of course, ran away as scarred as Sakura and Tenten were right then.

"Uh…Tenten," Sakura said in a concerned voice, prodding her friend's arm, "do you…er…think he's broken?"

"I hope so…" Tenten muffled. Her lips were now mashed up against her cloth book cover as she continued to try and hide her identity. In the background Lee was still chanting youth and flailing his arms.

Then Tenten heard a chuckle, and everything went from totally humiliating to totally humiliating plus a too-sexy-for-his-own-good asshole. The voice made her angry and embarrassed at the same time. But instead of whacking him she just stood as still as a stick, face crushed against her book and hot with blush, hoping like heck he'd just go away.

"I think something is wrong with your little friend there," Neji pointed out to Tenten. Sakura, noticing Neji, decided to leave and give the couple privacy. Or maybe she just wanted to run away and commit suicide in a fish tank.

Tenten said something that sounded like 'He is _not_ my friend', but it was drowned out by the book and Lee's ceaseless screaming of youth.

Neji laughed silently, then walked away. Tenten poked her head out from behind the book to see if Neji was really gone, but found to her utter and complete dismay that the prodigy had walked over to Lee. Tenten wanted to die. In that moment she thought about over a hundred ways to kills herself without moving from that spot.

"Eyebrow boy, I think your little girlfriend over there wants you to shut up. Actually, I think the whole school does," Neji said to Lee. Lee stopped yelling and looked at Neji for a moment.

"TENTEN IS NOT MY GIRLFRIEND SHE IS MY YOUTHFUL FRIEND OF YOUTH THAT LIKES TO SHARE YOUTH WITH ME. SOMETIMES WE SHARE OUR LUNCH OF PEACE AND KINDESS WITH EACH OTHER BUT THAT IS IT. YOSH!" He yelled at Neji. Neji reached up to wipe the rather large amount of spit off his face. Instead of replying, he slid into a stance with his right arm extended and left leg slid back.

"Jyuuken!" he yelled, pummeling Lee with strikes all over his body. Lee fell to the ground seconds later, twitching and foaming at the mouth. Neji then strolled into school like nothing had happened.

Tenten had dropped her book long enough to see the whole ordeal. Her mouth hung open as she watched Lee collapse. She wasn't sure if he had died, but decided in the end that she didn't really care. (a/n ouch…. ) Instead she chose to run after Neji and thank him for saving her from further public humiliation. She secretly also wanted to apologize for last night. Tenten could only hope this would help improve her chances of making Neji "the one".

Tenten found Neji by a locker, which she logically assumed was his. Closing her eyes, she took a moment to breathe before starting over to the prodigy. He didn't see her until she spoke.

"Hey, um, Neji? I er…wanted to say thanks…for uh…shutting Lee up. You know, he's so retarded but he just keeps following us around…I owe you a favor now….and I talk _way_ too much, don't I?" she finished her babbling and pursed her lips, looking at the Hyuuga whose expression displayed amusement.

"Yes, you do. And it wasn't for you. It was for the school. In a few minutes people would have started having seizures. Wouldn't want that, would we? But I'll keep that favor in mind" he smirked. Tenen's eyebrows came together. She desperately tried to fight back her temper, but failed miserably.

"You know what, Hyuuga?!? I was being the bigger person by coming over here trying to be _nice_ for once in my life. I was _going _to apologize for last night, but you can forget that now. So just….just…go screw a cheerleader or something, why don't you?!" she said fiercely, and huffed off.

She saw him grinning as she left him, and she swore she heard him laughing something.

"Been there, done that. Isn't too great"

* * *

A/N Okay…I realize I have a rather…er…odd sense of humor Oo I'm so mean to Lee D: Review if you wish. I'm just having fun writing this story, which is the important part, ne? Not like I wouldn't appreciate a review or two, though :DDD 


	3. The Project

I don't own Naruto : Sorry for the any randomness in this story. The beginning will be more humorous and random while the ending will have more fluff and romance stuff. I just wanted to point out that I'm going to try and make fun of something I hate in every chapter ;P For example, Ronald Mcdonald, Telemarketers and Speedos. The three greatest evils in this world. –shiver- xDD So anyways, please read and review if you wish. Good reviews help inspire, you know –nudge-

* * *

While Tenten was busy dealing with Neji and Lee, Sakura roamed the halls looking for a certain someone. She had thought about it all last night. If she was going to pick someone to seduce and give her her first kiss, it was going to be Sasuke. In her mind she had several logical reasons behind the choice. One, he was hot. Two, he wasn't taken. Three, it was between him, Lee, and Gaara. It was a mystery how someone as sexy as Sasuke was available when someone as lazy as Shikamaru wasn't, but it wasn't her place to question fate. There was only one problem…one which could be described in a handful of words such as 'emo, antisocial, and angsty'. How the hell was she going to get through to someone like that without involving blackmail or threats?

"If Tenten can go after Neji, then I can definitely get Sasuke. Neji is just as cold as Sasuke. Yes. I can totally do this," she reassured herself under her breath. She scouted the halls for the blue boy with the cockatoo hairstyle, but he was nowhere to be seen. Glancing at the clock, Sakura realized class was going to start in two minutes. She quickly made her way to Iruka's classroom.

"Dammit," she swore, entering the class and taking her seat, "Sasuke wasn't in the halls. And I only have one class with him". Sliding back into her chair, she waited as the minutes dragged on. Sakura could hope that she would make some progress in that class.

* * *

Like Sakura, Tenten also had only one class with her guy. It was something she both looked forward to and dreaded. Of course the good part was Neji's presence, but it also happened to be the most brutal and un-enjoyable class ever. That class had a name, and its name was 'Gym'.

Tenten didn't hate the class because she couldn't do it. Oh no, her reasoning went much deeper than that. Half her grade was just dressing out. And honestly, what blonde-haired preppy pants couldn't do that? The other half was participation and effort- two words shoved on them in their first ever year of school. Acing it was easy. Enduring it, not so much.

From the very moment she stepped foot in the locker room, Tenten was bombarded with insults about how ugly her body was. She herself had never really cared if she didn't have a Vogue figure, but apparently that's all the girls she took the class with cared about. That and Hyuuga Neji. After surviving a change of clothes, when the guys and girls met to start the class a mob formed with the prodigy in the center. Every girl desperately tried to get his attention. Some even went so far as to comb through his hair, finger his abs and try to kiss his face (but Neji was far too tall for that). Tenten was left standing awkwardly near the bleachers. And this happened. Every. Single. Day.

Today was different, though. Tenten decided to do something besides the necessary and talk to the Hyuuga. She realized she had absolutely no chance getting at him through the mob, so instead she waited patiently by the door to the boy's locker room at the end of class, leaning against the wall. She closed her eyes for a moment, realizing she probably appeared bi-polar. Her Neji encounters had a pattern- nice, bitchy, nice, bitchy. Totally bi-polar. She winced.

"Having a bad dream there?" a voice asked. Tenten knew who it was before opening her eyes. The Hyuuga stood before her, shirt off and chest glistening with sweat (oh god, glistening?! She thought). He had a somewhat smug look on his face. She tried to avoid staring at his perfectly muscled body and looked him straight in the eye.

"Okay, Hyuuga. I'm giving this one last shot. So no wise cracks please?" He opened his mouth but she continued speaking in fear of having another moody moment. "I'm sorry for last night, and this morning. I wasn't looking where I was going. And I had no right to say such…er…inappropriate things about you and doing things with the spirit gods of this school. So, uhm, sorry for everything".

Tenten gazed at her feet, blushing slightly. She had always believed in morals and manners but had never apologized, or attempted to apologize, so much to one person. It made her feel awkward. The prodigy stayed silent, furthering the awkwardness of the situation.

"So, er…I'm going to go and change and stuff. Glad I got that off my chest. Later, Barbie," she said, giving him a small wave and rushing off. She would have succeeded, too, if something hadn't grabbed her wrist and snapped her back like a rubber band.

* * *

Sakura was having little to no success getting Sasuke's attention. She stared at him the whole time during class and even got up to sharpen her pencil over ten times (until her sensei pointed out that her pencil was a little over an inch long now and needed no further abuse). Every time she walked past him she flipped her hair, winked at him, or waved flirtatiously. Despite her attempts Sasuke never acknowledged her. Sakura pouted on her desk, cheek resting against her palm as she looked out the window.

"Could be gay," she muttered angrily, tapping her eraser against the desk. The girl next to her gave her a funny look but said nothing.

"Alright class! I'm assigning a project today. Now before you start passing notes and deciding partners, I'll relieve you from that responsibility by informing you I've already done it. The project is simple and I'm sure you've heard of it from your friends and siblings. But, this is one of the most important grades this semester in this Health class. You must take care of this box of cereal for two weeks. You cannot just shove it in you room and leave it there, dump it on your partner, and most importantly _don't eat it,_" their brown-haired sensei gave a sharp look in Chouji's direction (who immediately hid his chip bag and blushed), then continued, "you must treat the cereal like it's your own child. Do not neglect it or abuse it in any way. To make sure that you complete this project properly, I will require that you provide both a journal with daily descriptions of the activities completed with your child as well as three examples of photographic evidence. I have a way of knowing if you replaced your cereal. Do not cheat," he dragged on about the do's and don'ts' of the assignment, then picked up a large list and started reading aloud the pairings. There were many groans and cheers within the subsequent ten minutes.

"Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke," their sensei read. Sakura was already out of her seat, bounding forward excitedly to claim her cereal. Sasuke stayed in his seat with an emotionless expression (how unexpected –sarcasm-).

"Any questions?" the man finally asked, setting down all papers in his grasp. A timid hand shot up.

"Er…why do we have cereal? Isn't it usually flour sacks or eggs or baby dolls?" Their sensei shot the boy a rather nasty glare. Scared, he retreated low into his seat and whimpered. They all heard the teacher mumble something about 'cheap ass higher-ups' and 'budget cuts'. Everyone sweatdropped.

Sakura realized that she hadn't even read the brand of her cereal box yet. She was too focused on her partner. Apparently everyone else was too because suddenly the room was filled with rather unoriginal declarations of 'I'm cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs!' and 'Frosted Flakes! They're Grrrrrrreat!'. Reading her box's name, her jaw dropped.

"What the hell? Raisin Bran? That's like…old people cereal dammit! How am I supposed to love a cereal that gives me mental pictures of wrinkles and liver spots?" she whined, mostly to herself. However, Sasuke had finally taken up the job of communicating with his partner and walked over to her.

"So. Who get's the box first?" he asked gruffly, surprising Sakura who was staring at her box as if it would burn if she just did it hard enough.

"I…er…uhm…don't…care?" she squeaked. She was even more surprised when the right side of Sasuke's (rather gorgeous) lips pulled upwards in an amused smile.

"Do you always have the brain capacity of Dora the Explorer?" Sasuke asked, reaching out for the box. Sakura gave it to him silently. She was rather stunned that he had insulted her like that.

"We have to name it, I think," she pointed out quietly. He somehow managed to hear her and looked up at the ceiling in thought.

"How about Sasuka? I just want to keep this simple. Combining our names is the logical way to come up for a name for a child of ours," he said, pushing the box back towards her. Sakura was blushing from the thought of having a child with Sasuke.

"Come over to my apartment today. We need to work up a time chart or something". Just then the bell rang, and as if he had been anticipating it, Sasuke grabbed his things and glided out the door a few seconds later.

"Oh my god. I'm going to Sasuke's house," Sakura breathed, holding her chest like she was having a heart attack. So many thoughts ran through her mind (some rather perverted) that she stayed glued to her seat, unable to move. If it wasn't for a gentle prod from her sensei, she would've been late to her next class.

"Hell yes," she finally whispered.

* * *

So erhm. Yea. TBC. 8) Hopefully more fluffy stuff in the next chapter. Yay fluff. Review please :DD They make me feel fuzzy inside, like fluff!! And no insults to Dora the Explorer fans. She rocks. (However, Raisin Bran doesn't) 


	4. Broken Hair Ties and Cinnamon Rolls

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto (though I dream).

I have decided that I am not going to read any reviews I get on this story until it's finished. I know that sounds really…er…strange XDD but I have a phobia of criticism :/ Yea. I know. Confidence issues. Anyways, if there are any major grammatical problems that need fixing asap, just pm me (or whatever you do here xDD). Anyways, enjoy this chapter:DD

* * *

As Tenten turned around to leave, something wrapped around her wrist and pulled her back. She landed on her butt with an 'oomf!' and looked up to see Neji's hand pulling on hers.

"What the hell? That's the second time you've cause me to fall down in less than twenty four hours! I'm not a frickin punching bag you know!" she scowled, standing and rubbing her butt. Neji still hadn't released his grip and a light blush spread across her cheeks.

"About that favor…" He let go of her and a serious look came over his face. "I need to use it. Pity. I was really hoping to save it for something…better, but something came up I need you to take care of".

"Er, about that. When I said that I wasn't really thinking. You can't trust what I say when I go on like that," she laughed nervously, terrified about what this favor could be. Knowing the Hyuuga's personality, it would be brutal. "Favors aren't obligations, you know. They're something you do to help someone out. It's a choice".

"Hn" was his reply. He eyed her curiously, wondering what was making her so flustered and at a struggle for words.

"Okay, then. I need you to do something for me, and you can _choose_ whether or not to take the job," Neji revised his sentence.

"Why don't you ask a fangirl? They would be willing to do anything for you. _Anything_," Tenten pointed out, still unnaturally curious about what this urgent favor could be.

"I need someone with a higher I.Q than a squirrel for this. Sorry. That narrows the selection," he said. Tenten eyed his face for a smile or a teasing smirk, but he was still very serious. She decided to take the comment as a compliment.

"Okay, whatever. Shoot"

"I need you to take care of my cousin this weekend. She's seven. I would, but I have an important A rank mission I'm going on that day," he explained. Tenten's eye twitched in annoyance. She had expected something a bit more pride-preserving than babysitting. You know, sparring, accompanying him to a fancy Hyuuga dinner party.

"So uhm. You want me to babysit, basically. I guess I could…from when to when?" she sighed, slightly frustrated. There went her weekend. She didn't have a particularly busy or colorful social life, but she had planned to spend her precious off-school time doing something more productive. But if this could help her win the bet, what the hey?

"I'll only be gone Saturday, unless something unexpected happens. I can drop her off at your place in the morning if you'd like?" Tenten's face turned crimson.

"Uh. Er. No. Uhm. I'll come by yours. Really, it's more convenient. I'll be up by then, anyways," she lied, barely able to string together a sentence. Not only was her apartment small and messy, but he'd figure out that she practically lived alone. She doubted he knew she was an orphan. It would probably be a 'disgrace' to someone from a noble family such as his.

Neji lifted his eyebrow questioningly. Did he say something wrong? "That's fine, then. Be there by six"

"Okay," Tenten nodded. Damn. So much for sleeping in… "I'm going to go now. I have like two minutes to dress out. You too," she said, turning to leave. She was about halfway down the hall when Neji called out to her.

"Hey, Tenten?"

"Mmmm?"

"Thanks for doing this. Hanabi is a little devil"

Tenten gulped, wondering if she should've turned down the offer. She seemed to be making a lot of wrong choices lately.

"No problem," she managed to say, then quickly scurried into the locker room. Several remaining girls remained in the locker room when she burst in and ran to her gym bag. They stopped giggling and turned to look at her.

"What were you doing out there, bun head?" one sneered. Tenten ignored them and tried to find her other slipper in the bag.

"Hey! I was talking to you ugly!" the same girl shrieked. She heard footsteps behind her, barely turning her head in time enough to see the blonde approaching her.

"What the f-" Tenten started. Usually the Paris Hilton snobs stopped at insults. She was way muscular than any of those makeup obsessed freakazoids. The girl proceeded to grab both of her buns and yank on them.

"We saw you with our Neji-kins! What do you think you were doing?!" The girl fell back as both of Tenten's ribbons snapped in two and her long hair came cascading down. The other two blondes gasped.

"What?" Tenten asked, confused. She rubbed her head to make sure her hair was still there , and finding it was (but barely), stuffed her bag back into her locker and slammed it shut.

"FYI, he was asking me for a favor and I was apologizing for being a bitch. And unless you would like me to be much more than a bitch to you, I'd suggest keeping your hands off me, kay?" she hissed, her scalp stinging. The three girls nodded, eyes still widened slightly.

"What the hell was that about?" she asked herself, trying to find Sakura. "Was I that scary? Damn. I thought I had my other ribbons in my purse, but I guess not. Where's that lousy best friend when you need her? I hate wearing my hair like this," She frowned, looking up and down the halls.

The bell overhead rang twice. Tenten scowled. "Looks like I'm stuck like this for the beginning of lunch. Sakura better be there"

* * *

Sakura was not, in fact, at lunch. She had fainted in class from "Over Sasuke-ing", otherwise known as "The Fangirl Syndrome". Apparently Sasuke's invitation had gone to her head.

And so, Tenten went to lunch alone. But though she was alone, she couldn't shake the feeling she had a line of guys following her wherever she went. Her suspicions we confirmed when an acne-faced boy whistled at her when she passed by his table.

"What the?" she asked herself, confused, then angered. If he was whistling at _her_ (which was a completely different direction than what she was used to), then he was going to pay. Tenten's feminist side took over as she strolled over to him.

"Shit…" Neji was sitting at the table next to him. She reconsidered for a moment, but far too stubborn to let Neji interfere with her thoughts, decided to ignore him.

"Excuse me, but was that for me?" Tenten asked sweetly, faking a smile. The boy paused, glancing at her shirt whose top two buttons were undone. He could see a small portion of her lacy black bra (gift from her aunt). In her quick change of clothes, she hadn't noticed, but caught on to where he was looking. Before the teen knew what was happening, his face was smashed into his macaroni.

"Take that pizza face!" she yelled (a/n omg. Best. Insult. Ever. XDD). Neji turned to see what all the screaming was about and found a long haired girl storming away.

"….whoah baby. Who was that?" a boy next to him asked the table. Everyone shrugged.

"I think," Neji began, "that was Tenten. Either that or Tenten just gave up her clothes to some stranger"

"Psh. Yeah right. Stop joking Hyuuga. Tenten doesn't look like that," another boy snorted. Neji glared at him, then forked in his mashed potatoes.

Tenten, beyond pissed off, decided to go sit at her table and skip lunch. If starving herself was what it took to avoid those jackasses, she'd do it. Sakura wasn't at the table, depressing her further. She slumped next to Kiba , Lee, Shino, and Naruto.

"Holy crap. Look guys, a hot girl is sitting at our table today!" Kiba growled, nudging an unresponsive Shino in the side. Tenten boiled over.

"What in god's name is going on with the freaking male species today?!" she yelled at them, yanking her legs up and ripping the decorative strings off her shoes (thus ruining them). "Those airheads yank my hair ties and suddenly I'm being ogled by a frickin flea bag!"

"I resent that," Kiba huffed. Tenten ignored him and hastily tied up two lumps on her head. She didn't care how crappily done they were as long as she could have a normal lunch.

"There! Can you tell who I am now, you hormonally driven weirdoes?"

"…Tenten?" Kiba asked.

"No. I'm the Pilsbury Dough Boy here to pass out cinnamon rolls. No duh it's me."

"I want some cinnamon rolls," Naruto pouted two seats down. Tenten gave him a ferocious look. He shut up.

Laying her head down in her arms, she spent the rest of the lunch listening to the boys discuss their health project (the sheer stupidity of it made Tenten glad she didn't take health as well)

"I don't get it. Why is it special K? What makes it so special? What happened to the regular K?" Naruto asked.

"I have looked at youthful Cinnamon Toast Crunch before, but I have not seen its youthful taste. Tell me, how do you see a taste? Isn't taste sense? How do you use a sense to taste a sense? The taste you cannot see! Yosh!" Lee dragged on, much like that morning. Tenten groaned.

The moment the lunch bell rang, she sprinted from the cafeteria and to her locker, banging her head inside of it many times until feeling sane enough to survive the rest of the day.

"Damn you, Sakura! This is totally your fault!"

* * *

The day ended normally, much to Tenten's relief, and Sakura had recovered enough to go home. She caught up to Tenten who was slumped over and dragging herself down the hall.

"Whoah. Did someone listen to Hilary Duff's new CD, or did you just die?" Sakura joked, poking her friend in the side. She didn't respond.

"Seriously. Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not okay. First Lee embarrasses me in front of everyone, then I get stuck babysitting for a demon Hyuuga, then the gym bitches pull my hair ties out causing about every frickin teenage guy at lunch to ogle me, then I have to listen to Naruto and Lee discuss cereal, _cereal _Sakura! I think I failed everything I did in all my other classes today. Trust me, I would trade that for a Hilary Duff CD any day"

"Eek. Tough day. I'm sorry," Sakura sympathized.

"Would've helped if you were there," Tenten mumbled. "Where were you anyways?" Sakura blushed.

"I…er…didn't feel well. Ooh! Guess what?!? Sasuke invited me over to his house to work on our cereal-" Sakura was stopped short when Tenten stopped and glared at her, "I mean…health project together"

"Grads" came the halfhearted reply. Sakura wilted. The rest of the walk was silent.

"Since you're going to Sasuke's and I'm mentally scarred for the rest of today, I'll just go in," Tenten said when they reached her apartment complex. Sakura nodded.

"See you tomorrow, Tennie," she teased before rushing off. "Tennie" scowled, then walked up three flights of stairs, unlocked her front door and almost collapsed at her entryway. However, she managed to drag herself to her couch and lay there with her head face-down in the pillow.

"Tenten? How was your day?" her aunt asked from the kitchen. She was home early.

"Fine," came a muffled reply. A minute of silence passed.

"Hey auntie?"

"Yes Tenten?"

"……do we have any cinnamon rolls?

* * *

Forgive me for the crappy chapter 8( I kinda forgot where I was going with it half way through xD FYI, I don't own any of those cereals, or Hilary Duff (Thank god). This story will get more romantical, I promise. I want to make my way there, though. I don't want 'omg he's an emo' to go to 'omg he's in love with tenten and they're making out' in two chappies ;P Review:DD 


	5. Parties and Middle Fingers

Sorry for the crappy chapter the other day. I'll /try/ and make up for it with this one :/ (Listening to music while I do it. Perhaps it'll help? xDD) I tried writing this yesterday, but I started with Sasuke and Sakura and was like….omfg…this is so…boring… (god, I hate writing about them ) So I've decided I will avoid writing direct scenes about them as much as possible. Ugh.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

* * *

Tenten wasn't particularly looking forward to the next day of school. She had developed a new hate of the male gender and knew that until this bet was over, Sakura wouldn't be at her side nearly as much as she needed her to be. Ugh. Guys ruined everything.

She woke up forty five minutes before school started, followed her morning routine, then made her way to school. It was Friday. If it weren't for that fact, Tenten decided, she would totally ditch school that day. Five minutes after arriving, she regretted that choice. Ditching would've been much better.

Sakura had rushed up to Tenten the moment she stepped foot on school grounds. By the amount of enthusiasm she held, it was obvious something terrible was going to happen. And it did.

"Oh my god Tenten! Guess what happened?" she gushed, then without waiting for a 'what' that wasn't going to come, went on, "Sasuke and I are throwing a party!! Well, mostly me. But we were talking last night about Sasuka and needing to do something big for our first photo and I remembered that Halloween is coming up in a week. Sasuke has like no furniture in his apartment so there's plenty of room. I figured everyone could bring their cereal boxes and they could socialize while we dance. We can wear costumes and everything!"

As Tenten stood and tried to absorb the incoherent mush of words , she made a connection. Party meant new clothes. New clothes meant shopping. Shopping meant death.

"Okay, well, I don't have that project. I guess I don't have to go then! Too bad. I'm just going to go to class now. Bye!" She laughed nervously and tried to run off. Sakura grabbed her by her collar and pulled her back. She fell on her butt.

"Why is everyone doing that lately?!" Tenten growled, "There's no way I can wear a bathing suit in the next two weeks. I've got bruises all over my freakin butt!"

"Tenten," Sakura said sternly, "you're going. Don't make me force you. And we're going costume shopping together. Tomorrow"

"Tomorrow?" She remembered her promise to Neji. "Sakura, tomorrow isn't a good day. I've got to…er…babysit Neji's demon cousin"

"So? Bring her along. I'll pick you up at nine" Sakura didn't give Tenten an option. For a moment she wondered why she had ever picked such a forceful person for her best friend. They both walked away in opposite directions to go to their first period class.

* * *

Putting aside the news from that morning, Friday went smoothly. Tenten spent that evening at the video store trying to find some comedies to calm her nerves about the next day. Reno 911 The Movie, in her opinion, sucked crap. She stopped it halfway and tossed the case across her room (a/n: it really wasn't as good as I thought it'd be D8). She fell down laughing at Anchorman (a/n: best frickin movie ever), and ended her night with Epic Movie. When she fell asleep, her mood was definitely better.

Tenten's alarm clock went off at four. She was supposed to get Hanabi at six, but wanted to look somewhat decent for both her shopping trip and for Neji (assuming he wouldn't have left for the mission yet). An hour was spent attacking her closet. She wanted to wear something that wasn't normally her. At the end of the hour, she was extremely satisfied with her choice. It was a rather flattering black and white striped tank which showed her cherry-decorated lace bra straps, low cut faded jeans, black converse, a black and white beaded necklace, black hoop earrings with two diamond studs on her cartilage (on each ear) and a plain diamond belly button ring (which was visible thanks to her jeans). Quite frankly, she looked hot. Even Tenten didn't recognize herself. She usually didn't wear things that showed off so much skin, but she hadn't realized until twenty minutes earlier that she really did like the ogling. You might even go as far to say that she _missed _it. Of course, she would never admit that to anyone. It was such a different feeling to see guys like her like that.

"I may not _like_ being a girl, but that doesn't mean I don't know _how _to be one," she told herself, twisting in front of the dresser mirror.

Tenten walked into her bathroom and glanced at her untouched right drawer. Makeup. Was it worth it? Was Neji worth it? Oh god. Yes he was. If Neji would look at her like those guys did that one day, her life would be complete. Then, she concluded, she could die. The day that Hyuuga Neji ogled Tenten. Not like that would happen. But still.

She lifted the small makeup bag her aunt had given her once (which she had thanked her for profusely, then promptly shoved inside said drawer) and unzipped it. There was a small assortments of eye shadows, a few shades of blush, some light colors of pressed powder, red and pink lip glosses and a small black eyeliner pencil. Tenten crawled onto the counter, her face a few inches from the mirror, and slowly applied a thin neat line of eyeliner on her bottom lid. She proceeded to brush a smoky grey eye shadow on her top lid, and carefully curled her eyelashes upwards with mascara. Taking her small bottle of foundation she used on those pimply days, she spread an even coat of the liquid across her entire face, making sure to rub in vigorously around the jaw line. The powder was applied to her forehead to keep it from shining (which wasn't too much of a problem due to her bangs). Lastly, she chose a very light pink gloss to give her lips some shine (she was too afraid of blush after the Sakura incident). (a/n: Both the outfit and the makeup pretty much describes what I do to myself xD Minus the belly and cartilage piercings ;P)

Tenten stood back. The only thing left was her hair. Though she did like the attention she got when her hair was down, she wanted to be able to make it to Neji's house in one piece. In the end, her hair lay down her back in a very long, very neat French braid.

Glancing at the clock she was surprised to find she had ten minutes to make it to Neji's house. It was odd seeing how long she could spend on doing girly things. It definitely wasn't going to become a part of her daily routine, but on these sort of occasions, she didn't mind. Tenten grabbed her small grey pack and swung it over her shoulder. It crossed her middle like a seatbelt and rested at her hip. She kept her cell phone, feminine items, some spare change and a stash of watermelon gum in it (she wasn't a compact or makeup carrying type). She made sure to lock the apartment door and headed downstairs and out to the sidewalk.

As Tenten predicted, she received quite a lot of attention on the streets. It was partly amusing to find that some of the admirers were people she saw at school that normally never gave her a second glance. She just stared ahead smugly and strolled slowly to the Hyuuga compound, swinging her hips slightly. Now _this_ was way better than any comedy movie. In a way she could see how people like Lindsay Lohan got a kick out of guys falling before her feet. Of course, she wasn't _that_ far yet, but she could settle for mouths slightly agape and butt stares.

When the she arrived at the Hyuuga compound, she was amazed at the sheer size of the place. It overwhelmed her every time she passed by it. Tenten could totally see how Neji had climbed up the social ladder. It wasn't just his looks that helped him out. Her fist slowly reached up to the door and knocked hesitantly. She reached in her bag to glance at her cell phone. It was six o' one. Surely they weren't _that_ punctual.

The door swung open, and Tenten smiled. The smile fell though as she came face-to-face with Neji's cousin, Hinata.

"Hey Hinata. Is Neji here?" she asked, moving her head to the right to catch a peek inside the home. Hinata shook her head.

"You-you j-just missed h-him. Can I p-possibly help y-you Tenten-chan?" Tenten cursed inwardly. She had really wanted Neji to see her girly-fied.

"Well, I'm supposed to pick up Hanabi for the day" Hinata nodded again and scurried away, leaving the door slightly ajar. Tenten tapped her foot and looked around outside to pass the time.

Hinata appeared at the door not long after, a four foot tall girl with a rather sour look on her face at her side. She looked a lot like the Neji rather than her sister, Hinata. Her hair was long and brown, her eyes white. (a/n: Duh ;P) She wore a grey V-neck tank with fishnet underneath (no doubt adopted from her sister) and short black capris. She would've been quite pretty, Tenten decided, if she was smiling.

"Hi Hanabi," Tenten greeted sweetly, waving. Hanabi glared at her. "You're coming with me today. Actually, we're going shopping here in a couple of hours with my best friend. Won't that be fun?" Then the little girl did something totally unexpected. She raised her middle finger at Tenten. It was brief but couldn't be missed. Tenten nearly fell backwards from shock. Hinata covered her face in embarrassment. (a/n: lmao! I can /totally/ see this happening! XD)

"I-I'm s-so sorry!" Hinata cried. "I th-think she p-picked it u-up fr-from her older cou-cousins!"

"It's okay," Tenten laughed nervously, holding one arm behind her head. "I do that, too, even though I shouldn't" She thought for a moment. If she was seven and already flipping people off, there's no way she would go anywhere willingly. A bribe must be made.

"Hanabi, if you follow me to my house, I'll let you play some of my mature rated violence video games" Tenten bargained, not bothering to lay on the syrupy voice.

"Xbox or Playstation?" Came the reply. Her voice was much girlier than Tenten expected.

"Xbox of course. Playstation sucks"

"….fine" Hanabi grumbled, stepping out of the doorway. Tenten and Hinata let out a sigh of relief simultaneously.

"Oh, by the way. Are you coming to Sakura's party, Hinata?" The blue haired girl lowered her head and blushed.

"I-I don't th-think I was in-invited," she stuttered quietly.

"Well now you are! It's next Friday night. Wear a costume since it's Halloween themed"

"Arigatou, Tenten-chan"

Tenten just smiled and turned to leave, Hanabi trudging slowly behind.

* * *

Hmm. No humor, no fluff. Sorry for the relatively boring chapter. The next one (or two) will be far more interesting as Tenten, Sakura, and Hanabi go shopping. And then who knows what'll come after that? ; It'll be good. Promise. Review:DD 


	6. Shopping and a Leash

Disclaimer: I Do not own Naruto

I want to apologize if you guys think this fic is complete crap. Usually my stories are a lot more serious and tragic, so this complete randomness, as well as writing about fictional characters, is in a completely different ballpark for me. So, sorry x Hopefully my next fic will be better…? (though it's not like I know what anyone thinks of it, yet. Still haven't read any reviews ;D)

Fluff to come, I promise. (for those fluffy fans)

* * *

The trip home wasn't nearly as fun as the trip there. For one, Hanabi was going seriously slow on purpose. Secondly, she was constantly kicking rocks at Tenten's heels and legs (which only added to the growing list of bruises she had received within the last three days). Thirdly, Tenten had nothing to look forward to. Not only was she shopping, but she was shopping with Neji's demon cousin. And after shopping there was more Hanabi babysitting. Fun…

Five seconds into the apartment and Hanabi was complaining about what crap it was, how much it sucked compared to the Hyuuga compound and how she couldn't stand to stay in such a rat hole for an afternoon.

"If you want rated R horror movies and mature violent video games, you'll deal," Tenten hissed. Hanabi glared at her from under her bangs.

Tenten proceeded to drag out her xbox and wad of cords and controllers. Once untangled, she plugged it in, stuck in the three prong things and tossed her game pouch to Hanabi.

"Choose whatever. I really don't care if you get nightmares"

"As if" The girl spent about five minutes staring down intently while flipping the pages of games. Tenten thought she heard her muttering things like 'crap' and 'double crap'. This girl was seriously starting to piss her off.

"Pick one unless you'd rather us bake sugar cookies"

Hanabi quickly flipped through the rest, picked one and tossed it at Tenten's head.

"Halo 2. Nice," she commented, setting the disc in and turning the Xbox on (a/n: best game. Ever. xD). "Do you want to play by yourself or two player?"

"…what do you think?" Tenten scowled and threw the controller towards Hanabi. Soon children's choir music started (a/n: that's totally what it sounds like, too!) and she laid back to watch the Hyuuga girl play.

* * *

Sakura arrived two minutes before nine. Tenten sprinted to the door. She never thought she'd see the day when she actually _wanted _to shop. But she would do anything to escape the hours of continuous verbal abuse.

"Looking hot today, Tenten! And you said makeup wasn't your thing," Sakura laughed, then winked. Tenten put her arms behind her head and shrugged.

" Ooh! Who's this?" Sakura cooed, stooping down in front of Hanabi. "Hi there, sweetie pie. Aren't you adorable?"

"Sakura. Nooo-!" Tenten began, but Hanabi had already set down her controller and looked Sakura in the face.

"I am not a sweetie pie, and I am not adorable. I suggest you get out of my face and let me playing this freaking game before I Jyuuken you to hell, bitch"

"…don't" Tenten finished, covering her face with a hand. She couldn't see Sakura's face but guessed it looked pretty p.o.ed.

"What did you call me, freak?!"

"Oh, so you're deaf _and _ugly?"

Sakura was shaking. Hanabi was smirking.

"Uhm. Okay guys. Let's go shopping. _Now_," Tenten insisted, grabbing Sakura's collar and dragging her backwards and out the door. "Hanabi, you too" Hanabi ignored her and continued playing Halo.

"Hanabi, come or I'll….take you there on a leash," Tenten threatened. Hanabi stopped playing again and looked at her.

"You…wouldn't…dare" Her eyes were scary. Tenten gulped.

"Watch me" Running into her room, she emerged with a leather leash.

"Sakura, hold her down" Sakura grinned, approaching Hanabi.

"Stay back you witch!" Sakura grabbed Hanabi's arms and held her down on the floor. The girl wriggled on the floor.

"Think of this as revenge" Tenten said, hooking the leash onto the belt hoop on her capris. "Now if you want to keep your pants and your pride, I suggest you shut up and walk"

If looks could kill, Tenten and Sakura would be dead. The Hyuuga girl rose silently, arms crossed, and began to walk out the door. The teens behind her gave each other a success smile, then grabbed the other end of the leash and started towards the mall.

* * *

"Here. This is the store I wanted to go to," Sakura told Tenten, stopping in front of a small shop. The display window was filled with fake cobwebs, rubber spiders, broomsticks and fake cauldrons.

"…I guess. I'll unleash you if you promise not to run away or attack anyone in that store, including us, kid. If you do, I won't hesitate to do something with my very sharp kunai"

Hanabi only glared, then nodded slightly. Tenten unhooked the leash.

"Aw, Tenten, you're no fun. We could've kept her like that in there," Sakura whined, still extremely insulted from earlier.

"Honestly, Sakura. I think it falls under cruel and unusual punishment…though I'm not saying she doesn't deserve it"

Inside there were rows upon rows of costumes. Some of them were already put together, but there were also various dresses, jackets, tops, pants, wigs, and hats that could be used to create and original costume. Tenten decided that she lacked any creativity to make her own costume like that and instead headed towards the completed ones.

Some of the costumes were quite frankly the stupidest she'd every seen. Who honestly wanted to be Captain Crunch or the Hamburglar? She browsed the clothes quickly, not truly caring if she found any or not. Hanabi followed dutifully behind, silent. This scared Tenten. She knew that the girl had to be plotting.

"Ooh! Tenten!" Sakura squealed a few rows over. "You have to try these on" Sakura found Tenten and handed her a pile of costumes.

_How the heck does she do that in like 2 minutes? _Tenten asked herself.

"Er…do I have to?" Sakura's glare answered her question.

Grumbling, she trudged over to the changing rooms leaving Hanabi with Sakura. The first costume was a devil. It was, in Tenten's opinion, extremely sluttish, but she had to show it to her friend anyways. It consisted of a small, tight red halter top and a just as small and tight red miniskirt with thin black devil tail protruding from her butt. The shirt and skirt seemed to be made of leather and crinkled when she moved. Atop her head went a headband with two horns and a plastic red pitchfork was held in her hand.

Tenten emerged from the changing room, completely embarrassed. "Sakura. There is no way I'm wearing this thing. It's way too tight and I'm feeling breezes in places I shouldn't"

Sakura eyed her up and down. "Well if you ask me, you look sexy, but whatever"

Tenten looked at Hanabi who was still silent.

_That's funny, _she thought, _I thought for sure she'd take this chance to insult how I look. I wonder if she's still mad. _

Apparently she was. A small smirk crossed the girl's face as something seemed to click in her mind. She opened her mouth.

"Oh my god Tenten," Hanabi yelled loudly across the store. At first Tenten thought something was wrong with her and twisted around to see if she missed a zipper or a bug or something. "There's a lump on your boob! Do you have breast cancer?" Hanabi continued to yell, if not louder than before. All twenty employees turned to stare at her, and some of them were guys.

Oh god. That kid was going to get it. Tenten dashed back into the changing room and sat down, holding her face in her hands. If only she could beat that girl within an inch of her life. But there was such a thing as Child Protective Services…

"Get it together, Tenten. You're letting a seven-year-old dictate your afternoon. Ignore her. Just ignore her," she told herself calmly, slipping off the halter and skirt. She decided to avoid any 'breast cancer' exposure, she'd go with something less revealing. She emerged from the changing room a second time.

The costume was a bit cliché. She was dressed as a witch garbed in a long black cloak with green satin inner lining. Fish net stockings ran up her legs and met a knee length black skirt. Her middle had a small section of fish net as well, but in a modest proportion, and went on to a semi-tight green strapless top with black ties running down the middle in a criss-cross fashion. On her feet we two large pairs of black boots, but despite their size they were very streamlined and perhaps a bit more elegant than what a real witch would wear. A black choker went around her neck and, of course, on her head was the typical pointed witch hat with a green ribbon tied around its middle.

"Fab-u-lous" Sakura exclaimed, stressing each syllable.

"You think?" Tenten twirled, her cape flying. It was certainly less…sluttish than the devil outfit.

"Ooh, Tenten. You finally brought out your true self. I must say you'll look better with that wart, though. Maybe you should wear the costume all the time?" Hanabi giggled, then quietly stepped on a corner of the cape while Tenten was moving. She crashed to the ground.

"God dammit! Seriously! How many times do I have to fall for this effin curse thing to be over?" She stood, lifted up her cape carefully to make sure not to trip again, then marched back into the dressing room to change into her regular clothes.

"I'm getting this just so I don't have to try on anything else. No breast cancer. No staring employees. No tripping. Nada," she hissed, draping the costume across her arm and approaching the counter. She handed the clothes to the girl at the register while keeping her eyes on the floor. She had to be laughing at her.

The process went rather smoothly. Clothes wer rung up, money was paid, change was given…and it all happened silently. Tenten thought she was going to get off scott free. With her luck she should have known. While handing the bag and receipt over, the girl spoke.

"I'm sorry about your boob" Tenten's mouth dropped. Whether she was joking or was seriously stupid enough to think she actually had breast cancer, she didn't know. But that was just…

"My boob is just fine, thank you," she snarled, snatching the bag and stalking out of the store.

"Wait, Tenten!" Sakura yelled, running to catch up. She had already paid for her costume while Tenten was changing. Hanabi was back on her leash and was being pulled roughly behind.

"Look, that was totally embarrassing back there. I'm sorry," her best friend tried to apologize.

"Forget it. I just wanted to get home and tie up that little monster until I get to bring her home"

* * *

Eight hours later, a knock came at Tenten's apartment door.

"Go away, Sakura. I don't care what it is you need. It can wait until tomorrow," she yelled.

"Well I thought it'd be a good idea to pick up my cousin, but if you want to keep her…." A voice said on the other side of the door. Tenten flew up from the couch and yanked the door open. Neji was there. At her apartment. Her crappy apartment.

"W-what are you d-doing here?" she stuttered. "I t-thought I was supposed to take h-her home. H-how did you k-know where I l-live?"

"What are you now, Hinata? It's called the magic of a school directory, Tenten. You should try it"

_Damn, _she cursed, _I knew I should've left my address unlisted!_

Neji shifted his head to peek inside. Tenten blushed deeper.

"Has she been like that all day?" He laughed quietly, apparently extremely amused. It was then that Tenten remember Hanabi, who she had leashed to a lamp the moment they came home from shopping.

"Er. Yea," she laughed nervously, putting an arm behind her head. "But she was a demon, just like you said! She…she flipped me off and insulted me and Sakura, then she refused to shop to I had to drag her there on a leash and then we let her off to look at costumes for Sakura's party and then she yelled that I had a lump on my boob and everyone stared at me and then the cashier felt _sorry_ for me and well…" Tenten took a breath, "she totally deserved it"

She nearly died when Neji glanced down for a brief second as if to check if she really _did _have a lump.

"Relax. I agree that she pretty much deserves anything bad that comes her way. The leash idea really wasn't half bad. I'll gave to try it". Tenten was surprised her took her side. She was sure with his personality he'd be extremely protective of his cousin.

"Well, er, I'll go unhook her…now…" she walked back in and took the leash off Hanabi. The girl jumped up and quickly ran to her cousin.

"So…maybe I'll leave her with you again?" Neji prodded.

"NO!!" Both Tenten and Hanabi yelled together. Neji chuckled.

"Fine. Hanabi, go home. I want to talk to Tenten. Alone," he commanded. Hanabi looked up at him, face displaying how peeved she was.

"I've taken enough orders today. I'm not going to take them from you, too"

"Go or I'll kiss you"

She was gone in a flash. Tenten's jaw dropped.

"I can't believe it was that easy…" she murmured, amazed.

"Yea, well, until I figured that out it wasn't very easy for me either. Your debt is paid now. Just so you know"

"My debt was paid a thousand times over, Hyuuga," she poked him in the chest, "and if I'd known I was going to go through hell like that, I wouldn't have done your favor"

His eyes sparkled with amusement. " Hm. Would ramen make up for it?"

Tenten's eyebrows soared upwards. Was he…?

"Yes, it would. But Hyuuga Neji, are you asking me out on a date?"

"Hn. Not really. But I think anyone who has to go through lump accusations deserves a bowl of Ramen"

Tenten chose to look past his insult. Free ramen and time with Neji. She hit the jackpot.

"A bowl? I hope you have a lot of money with you because I eat _way _more than a bowl!"

Neji shrugged, then grinned. "I'm sure I can afford it"

"Showoff"

* * *

No offense to anyone about the breast cancer crack. I'm not trying to offend those thousands of women who are struggling with this cancer right now. I actually have a deep respect for them and their determination 8

Sorry if things seemed a bit rushed, but it was getting extremely boring writing so many unimportant details. I figured they'd be just as boring to read. Obviously next chapter will be a bit more fluffy x3 Until then!

Quick Note: I will be on vacation from the 5th-13th of July. We're staying in the country so I highly doubt I'll get any signals and be able to post any chapters during that time. However, I will write them (most likely, unless I have absolutely no free time) and post them when I get back. Sorry! ;


	7. Compliments and Eavesdroppers

I apologize for any delays of chapters in the future. I know I mentioned my big vacation starting the 5th, but I'm not so sure our family is going on that anymore :/ My grandfather is in the hospital and they think he is going to pass away soon :[ It's really hard on our family and if he doesn't stabilize in the next day, the vacation is off (though most likely postponed). Either way, I probably won't be on as much do to hospital visits and (though god I hope not) maybe a funeral.

Also due to the circumstances, I have a lot on my mind so it might affect my writing. I'm sorry if the quality drops (again xD). But I do want to write both to finish this story and to help me feel better about things. Enjoy what you can! I'm in a more romantic mood today, so maybe less stupidity and more NejiTen.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

* * *

Tenten knew the walk to Ichiraku by heart. In fact, she was positive that she could find her way there at night while blindfolded. Yet somehow she was always managing to trip and take wrong turns with Neji (or at least, she almost did. He always caught her elbow and pulled her back. This, of course, made her blush furiously). Could he really affect her that much? Oh how sad she had become. She was no better than a fan girl or a boy-obsessed Ino. Neji was like her marijuana and Tenten was definitely addicted (a/n: figuratively x3 no Tenten is /not/ a crackhead, thank you! xDD)

Like so many of the walks she had taken lately, this one was equally silent. It was weird how everything had changed since they made that bet. Tenten had become far more girly, was more susceptive to falling on her butt, and her social skills definitely fell off a cliff and died. Whoever said change was good had no idea what the hell they were talking about.

Neji lifted up the curtain to the stand for her, and she nodded her head in thanks. Dropping the curtain, he joined her on a stool to her right. The ramen guy (a/n: does he even have a name? Oo …I'll shut up now) turned around from the stove and saw Tenten, his eyes lighting up.

"Hey Tenten! Haven't seen you in the past couple days. Want your usual?" He glanced at Neji, and somehow noticing that he was not some random guy sitting next to his favorite customer, added, "Nice looking guy you got there. Don't take it too fast"

Tenten's face grew hot. "Holy crap, no! It's nothing like that! He's just making up for something very very terrible he dumped on me…" She shot Neji a glare and hissed her 'verys' out through clenched teeth. Neji's lips twitched upwards.

"Ah. I see. So what'll it be, then?"

"The usual will be fine. Neji?"

"Miso pork ramen" he answered without hesitation. The ramen man nodded and turned around to start cooking.

"Do you come here a lot, or do you have seriously fast menu reading skills?"

"I have seriously fast menu reading skills, of course" Her eye twitched and she reached over for a pair of chopsticks to tap against the table. How she loathed his sarcasm.

A few moments of silence passed. "I'm starting to get the feeling you aren't around people very often. Either that or you're part mute" She wasn't going to pass up this opportunity to get him back for his oh-so-infuriating-yet-somehow-sexy remarks.

"Hn"

"Well this seems like the perfect opportunity to ask you something personal, since you apparently have nothing good to say" She observed his reactions carefully. He shifted a bit uncomfortably in the stool but his face displayed nothing.

"You see, every girl at school wonders something. Can you see through clothes with your Byakugan?" She grinned widely, feeling as though she was pulling ahead in this invisible game of insult exchange. "See, some girls think you're a closet pervert while your fangirls seem to think you're looking at them. Of course, your fangirls don't mind. Ever noticed why they get so up in your face?"

Neji turned to face Tenten in his stool, his eyebrows raised in curiosity. Seriously. Hadn't this guy ever heard of annoyance or anger? Why was everything so amusing to him? She gazed at a single strand of hair draped across the bridge of his nose. Her hands balled into a fist to keep herself from brushing it out of his face. And the lighting on his skin tone….

"Hn. I guess you'll never know that, will you? I could use my Byakugan any second now, Tenten, and you wouldn't be able to do a thing about it"

"Oh, really? See, I heard that you can't use Byakugan with two kunai shoved into your eye sockets. Could be just a rumor. Care to test it out?" Her eyes narrowed, but her cheeks burned slightly. Could he seriously see things like that…?

Neji chuckled. "Why do I doubt that you could land a kunai anywhere on me?"

Any feelings of fangirlism vanished from Tenten's body and her eyebrows met sharply. "Is that a challenge? One hundred percent accuracy isn't something to doubt, you know"

"Neither is a one hundred percent impenetrable defense"

Tenten, mouth void of any comeback that wouldn't sound utterly retarded, humphed and turned her head to stare at the wall to her left. Her lips pulled into a pout. Neji always managed to beat her while being sexy at the same time. This had to be some Guinness World Record.

Before any more awkward silences ensued, two steaming bowls were slid towards them from behind the counter. Tenten's mouth watered as she broke her chopsticks apart.

"Ikadakimasu" She said cheerily, momentarily forgetting her spat with Neji at the sight of her glorious Ramen. In a blink of an eye, every last drop of Ramen disappeared from her bowl, including the noodles. It looked almost as clean as it would after being washed.

"You really aren't like other girls…" Neji commented, sipping slowly on his broth. "Most of them would order two radish slices, eat one, then complain of a stomach ache and demand to be take home to regurgitate it"

Tenten laughed out loud. "No way would I ever do that. I don't starve myself for looks. So if that's the kind you like, you definitely need to look elsewhere. I eat as much as I want, or can afford…whichever comes first. Training kinda takes care of the fat part" While speaking she held out her bowl for a refill. The ramen man expected this and had his ladle ready full of soup.

"Hn" Neji was quiet for a moment like he was thinking intensely about something. He also held out his bowl for a refill, and once it was received, spoke again.

"I agree. You don't need to starve yourself. You're good the way you are"

Tenten opened her mouth to say something insulting back to him. It took a few moments, but she soon realized that Hyuuga Neji had just_ complimented_ her and her mouth closed. The insult thing was a reflex. She had totally expected him to call her fat or tell her that she should go anorexic. But instead he said something _nice? _Her chopsticks hung in midair as she sat in total shock.

* * *

On the other end of the stand, two shinobi men in their late thirties ate their ramen while watching Neji and Tenten intensely. Seeing how it was just them and the two teens inside, it was rather easy to follow the conversation.

"Hmm. If you ask me they're too young to be dating. Why, I waited until I was in my twenties to start and look at me now! I'm married with a kid and couldn't be happier. Teen love only leads to heartbreak," he lectured his friend, chopsticks clanging as he dropped them into his empty bowl.

"I don't know," he said, contradicting the man. "That Neji kid is quite a hunk"

His friend stared at him, mouth agape, and while he was preoccupied with sighing dreamily and staring off into space, slipped out of the stand quietly and ran home.

* * *

Tenten managed to complete two more bowls without saying another word, then pushed back from the counter and sighed in satisfaction.

"That was good. Thanks, Neji," she commented, trying to talk casually. He definitely couldn't know that she had practically gone in a coma from a small compliment like that.

"Now both our debts are paid," he pointed out, taking out his wallet. Tenten purposely tried to not look to see how much green the guy could possibly have. Her curiosity got the better of her and she peeked. It was like a forest in there…color-wise, at least.

"I just noticed," he started, after paying the man and returning his wallet to his pocket, "that you just called me Neji for the first time. Usually it's 'Hyuuga' or 'Barbie' or 'asshole'" He was grinning while he said it which is why Tenten chose to ignore the comment.

Neji once again raised the curtain for her and Tenten stalked out, arms crossed. When she entered she had, of course, be fantasizing about something a bit more romantic. He had specifically pointed out that this was _not_ a date, but she had hoped anyways. Now she realized he was a man of his word. This definitely was nothing more than meal between two people that could hardly even be called friends. She was disappointed…more than she wanted to be. It wasn't fair that he was screwing up her emotions like this without even knowing. Heck, she'd rather be on her period. At least then she had an excuse for such mood swings.

The cool night air helped clear her mind. She chose instead to focus on the crickets and comforting bustle of people doing their nighttime activities. The lanterns hanging from the shops and homes glowed softly, and the moon overhead was beautiful against the cloudless sky filled with stars.

_It's almost full, _she noted for no particular reason at all. It seemed important, somehow.

"I love nights like this," Tenten sighed, feeling a bit bolder now that she was out of that hot ramen stand and not thinking about Neji's godliness. He glanced down at her questioningly, his eyes burning bright white at night. (They looked so much like the moon, Tenten had noted to before scolding herself mentally)

"They make you feel so warm inside. When I'm out on nights like these, it's almost impossible for me to feel sad. I feel like I'm not alone. I used to spend every night on a hill after my parents passed away. It was…very hard for me then. But when I sat up there on that hill and looked up at the moon and stars…it was like nothing mattered. The beauty of it all was enough for me then, even if I was so…alone," she struggled for her words. Neji briefly wondered if she was going to cry, but noticed how excitedly her eyes shone when she spoke.

"I still go there sometimes on those nights where I just feel depressed for no reason. Sometimes if I wake up from my nightmares I'll go out, even if it's midnight, and just sit on that hill. The feeling never fades. It's over there, if you ever want to go there yourself. You know, if you ever feel bad," she pointed in the direction of her sitting place, though she doubted Hyuuga Neji ever got nightmares.

He continued staring at her curiously. Tenten blushed, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. She looked down at her shirt to see if she had spilled Ramen on her front. She was clean.

The walk didn't last much longer, however. They were in front of her apartment complex, much to Tenten's relief, ending the scrutiny. She started through the gate when she suddenly remembered something and turned around. To her relief, Neji was still there, watching her.

"I forgot to ask. Are you going Sakura's Halloween party thing? Sasuke will be there. You and him can probably survive the thing together. Seeing as how you share so many qualities…"

"Are you calling me emo?" he asked, though not in an insulted tone.

"…Maybe. Though I think 'ice cube' would be a better term," she giggled, putting her arms behind her head into her 'Tenten position'. Neji smiled, though not at the joke. But Tenten, of course, didn't know that.

"When is it?"

"Next Friday. You'll need a costume, though. Doesn't have to be fancy, but you'll need something. Trust me. Sakura will kick your ass if you show up in jeans. This is beyond a big deal to her"

She turned around and started to walk towards the flight of stairs when Neji called out.

"Hey. You look…nice tonight" Then he walked away. Tenten looked down at herself, realizing she still was wearing the outfit she had worked on so long just to please him.

And for the second time that night, Tenten nearly fainted.

* * *

Aww! Fluffiness! 33 Ah. That was totally what I needed. I'm in a better mood now : I'm so glad I wrote this.

And to all guys, don't be ashamed of thinking /things/ about Neji ;) He _is_ a total hunk, after all! XDD –is starting to realize that I really need to get a life-


	8. Nightmares and Sports Bras

My grandfather doesn't seem to be improving, nor does it seem like his condition is treatable. The vacation is off for now, and my dad wasn't home on the 4th of July :/ So I'm kinda a wreck right now. Like last chapter, I apologize for any quality drop. I have decided, however, that continuing this fic helps me out a lot. So despite what's going on, I will post as often as I can 8)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I also do not own any people/things/companies mentioned anywhere in this fic.

* * *

After Saturday passed, life settled down for Tenten. Of this she was partly relieved. Her world hadn't turned_ all_the way upside down. But a certain part of her, and she wasn't sure how big that part was, longed for the drama she had lacked the previous fifteen years of her life. It was almost like she was finally living, becoming more of a somebody.

Sakura had called Tenten Sunday night (another routine they had) to discuss their weekends, their plans for the next week, and what they (mostly Sakura) were going to wear on Monday. And as usual, Tenten mostly responded with 'yeahs' and 'mhmms'. Life was easier that way when dealing with Sakura.

"…so then I was like, 'you know what, hun? I'd rather eat watch The Wiggles than see that movie with you'. Hey Tenten? Are you listening? ….Tenten? Tennntennn! TENTEN!"

"Huh? Oh! Yeah," Tenten finally responded, having lost herself after drowning in Sakura's 'he said, she said' stories.

"Did you hear a _thing_ I just said?!"

"…No. Are you really surprised though?"

Sakura sighed. "Guess not. Sooo…whatever happened to that brat after we left the mall? Did you tie her to a pole and shove lima beans down her throat?" Tenten wasn't there but she'd bet fifty dollars that she was grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"Sadly, no. I leashed her and gave her more video games. Unlike you I have neighbors. A hundred of them. That girl could probably scream her head off and I'd have the authorities at my door in a matter of seconds"

"I see…so did you get to see Neji?" The upward inflection in her tone couldn't be missed. She was obviously extremely curious as to what had been going on between the two people. Tenten wondered if Sakura was suspecting some secret relationship.

"Uhm…no...yes" she sighed. You couldn't lie to someone like her. Though she wasn't a very good liar, period.

Sakura squealed on the other end. "So what happened?! Did you kiss? Oh my god! Did I lose already?! Do I seriously have to date Lee? I was just starting to make progress on Sasuke!"

"Sakura! Shut up for a second! No, we didn't kiss. It's not…like that," Tenten couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice. "He came to pick up Hanabi at my place and he treated me to Ramen for all the hell I went through with her. It wasn't a date or anything. He was pretty composed the whole time"

"…I'm sorry, Tenten. That's from a friend. But from someone whose reputation is on the line with this bet, I've got to say I'm glad. No offense"

The rest of the conversation included Sakura's detailed accounts of all the time she had spent with Sasuke since they received their project, and a rather heated self debate over what color blouse would look good with a pink skirt. Tenten didn't hear a word of it.

"Sakura, if I don't want to look like a zombie tomorrow, I've got to go to bed. Just go with the green top. Wear orange and you'll look like a Starburst. Night"

She hung up the phone before her friend could distract her with another useless topic , then turned the lights off and fell asleep.

* * *

_It was dark. __So dark.__ Tenten wandered forward, arms held out tentatively to feel around. There was nothing. _

_Suddenly the darkness lightened and she found herself outside a hut. __Her home…her old home.__ The house they lived in before her parents died and she moved to __Konoha__ to live with her aunt. The stream was there, and the clotheslin__e, __and the apple tree. It was all there, just like before__Before everything went__ wrong._

_Tenten wandered forward, afraid. She was somehow aware that she had seen this so many times before in her mind. She somehow knew this was that same nightmare that haunted her. She wanted to turn and run but was drawn into the doorway__ without a choice_

_The house was dark. There was no __movement inside, no laughing or boiling pots like Tenten remembered from her childhood. No smiles existed, no mouth-watering aroma__s drifted__ about. It was silent except for a white sheet flapping eerily on the clothesline. Tenten's hands gripped the doorway, shaking. She didn't want to go in. She didn't want to…_

_And then he was there. Neji was sitting at her crudely carved kitchen __table,__ turned towards her. His face was smiling and he beckoned her with a hand. Oh how she wanted to go to him. She wanted to stroke that face more than anything. He looked so beautiful with that smile. There was no way that this was a nightmare…no way._

_She took deliberately slow steps, st__ill so cautious. There was__ this feeling she couldn't shake, like something was terribly wrong. And then Neji was before her, somehow even more glorious in her dreams than in real life. She wanted to run into his arms, and would have, but her feet wouldn't budge. Tenten looked down at her feet, pulling urgently on her right leg. It was as though she was glued to the floor. __She pulled harder on both legs, nearly crying in frustration. Why couldn't she go to Neji? __When she looked __back up at him__, she found he was__towering__ over her. Had he grown? No. That couldn't be it…_

_Tenten held her hands in front of her face. They were small. Her feet were small. She was small. __Her age had returned to when her parents died, to when she still lived in this home. She was no bigger than a toddler, yet was still as intelligent as a teenager, fully comprehending the circumstances. _

_Shocked, she opened her mouth to ask Neji if he knew what was going on. He wasn't there…__No. Neji was gone. I__n his place was her mother. _

_Her face was hollow__, as if she had received no sleep and hadn't eaten in weeks. This was not her mother. Her mother had a full face, like Tenten. A face that blushed and showed dimples when she smiled. But this mother didn't smile. Her mouth was frowning, lips chapped and dried blood caked on her lower lip. Her mouth opened briefly, but only a strangled empty sound came out. The blood in Tenten's veins chilled at this sound. Her body trembled violently. She wanted to run but was just as immobile as before. She couldn't break away from those eyes…those horrible eyes. Those were not her mother's beautiful brown eyes that sparkled and laughed when she wove nighttime stories or received a present from Tenten. No. Those were dull eyes, empty eyes, sorrowful eyes, sick eyes…They were sunken in her face and set within a mountain of purple sags. Tenten wanted to scream, but she couldn't._

_"Tenten," her mother rasped. "Why did you let us die? Why couldn't you help us? Help us Tenten! Help us!"_

_"No!" __Tenen__ managed to cry out. "No __no__no__no__no__! I…I tried to. I tried! Please believe me mother! I miss you__..so__ much!!" Tears flew as she shook her head fiercely from side to side. "I didn't want you to die!"_

_"It's all your fault, Tenten. __All your__ fault…all your faul__t. I__t's because of you we're dead. We loved you Tenten, and you let us die. It's __all your__ fault"_

_"NO! It's not my fault, it's not! It can't be!" _

Tenten jerked up in bed, screaming, tears flowing freely down her face. "NO! IT WASN'T MY FAULT!"

Suddenly she was aware of her surroundings and opened her eyes. She looked around her and only saw her room. There was no Neji. Her mother wasn't there. Neither was her home. And yet, Tenten couldn't stop shaking. She looked down at her hands, eyes still wide and wet with tears. She fell back against her pillow and sobbed.

"I'm so sorry…" she whispered, pained. "I couldn't do anything for you. And for that, I'm sorry…"

When her sobs subsided, Tenten wiped her face across her sleeve and rose from bed. Her feet dangled across the side as she sat on the edge, gazing out the window. There was the same moon she had seen last night with Neji. Yet it wasn't nearly as beautiful as it was then…

Sliding the window open, she jumped to the ground (which is easy for a kunoichi) and onto the grass. She hadn't bothered to change from her pajamas, instead concluding that a black sports bra and grey sweatpants, though revealing, weren't exactly as bad as Blues Clues footie pajamas. And after all the times she left at night, she had learned that no one was out at two am.

Her feet padded softly against the sidewalk as she headed south. There was something creepy about the nighttime silence, yet strangely peaceful and comforting. Being outside in reality helped her cope with her nightmares, though the image of her mom was stuck in her head. It wasn't the first time she had appeared like that, but every time it hit her just as hard. But the words hurt the most…it hurt knowing deep inside there was possibly truth to those horrible words.

Grass crunched beneath her feet and branches snapped before her. There was no need for stealth skills when out like this. All she wanted now was to be alone at her spot. But when she pushed aside a final branch, she found that someone was already up on her hill, head tilted upwards towards the moon. She stood perfectly still, shocked, unconsciously letting the branch swung back. Hearing the noise, the person's head turned.

She had somehow known even before the head turned who it was. Only one person knew of her spot. Yet it was the fact that he was t_here _that surprised her the most. Had he come there in hopes of seeing her? Did he have a bad dream, too? Both seemed so unlikely. So why…?

"Hello," he said. Other than his lips, no part of him moved. His face was calm, as usual. He wasn't smiling like in her dream.

Suddenly Tenten blushed fiercely, realized what she was wearing. If she had known he was going to be there, she would've dug out those Victoria's Secret silk pjs her aunt had given her along with the makeup kit. Instead she was out here in a bra and some sweats. Lovely…

"I didn't know you were going to seriously come here," she mumbled accusingly, finally moving from her spot and walking up the hill. She set cross legged a few feet from Neji (wanting to give him as much space as possible), then looked up at the sky. Even if the prodigy _was _here, she couldn't let him distract her from her purpose. This was her time.

"I couldn't sleep and remembered what you said," was his excuse. He paused, following her stare upwards. "I can see why you come here…"

"Yea," she sighed, flopping down on her back. "It's so unreal here. Almost like being in a dream. Though I don't have many of those. Usually it's just nightmares or nothing at all. This is the closest thing I get to having one"

"Did you," he asked, almost hesitantly, "have one of those tonight? A nightmare, I mean" Tenten was silent. She closed her eyes and exhaled. For a moment he wondered if he had asked something too personal.

"It was of her…" she whispered. "It's always of her, and sometimes him. And it's always there. The nightmare is always the same. Yet…it hits me just as hard as the very first time. It's like reliving that horrible thing over and over, but somehow worse. It wasn't bad enough to go through it once. No. I have to go through it almost every day of my life. Sometimes I hate falling asleep, just because I know they'll be there. It's like, even though they're gone, they're not. They still talk to me. And the things they say hurt more than anything"

"They? She? Him? There?" he questioned, confused, yet somehow understanding.

"My mom. My dad. Mostly my mom, like I said. And our old house. We lived in the country, just us. My dad usually worked in the fields and I helped my mom with chores. You couldn't begin to understand how much I loved my mom. She was so gorgeous and friendly. Her warmness was like a disease- it spread to everyone. She could make anyone happy with that smile and laugh of hers. I admired her so much. I always wished I could be as beautiful and wonderful as her. I have her eyes, but that's about it. I have too much of my dad in me…" she sighed, saddened by the memories.

"They became deathly ill when I was small. We lived far away from town, too far for me to go on my own. It wasn't safe for me, though I wanted to go so badly. I hated to see my mom like that. Stuck in bed…pale…coughing up blood and shaking violently no matter how many blankets I put on her. My dad wasn't much better. They tried to make me stay away up to the very last minute, fearing for my life as well. They died within a week, only a few hours apart. I spent three days straight crying. I've never felt as alone as I did then. It's a feeling I'll never forget, losing them like that. And they always come back in my dreams, blaming me for their deaths. They tell me it's my fault. It's my fault they're dead. Some part of me believes them…some part of me knows they're right…" Tenten choked, blinking to hold back tears.

"But it's not your fault," he insisted quietly. "What could you have done at such an age?"

"Logically, nothing. Yet if I had known what hell I would go through after that, I would've done something, even if I got eaten by a bear trying to do it. Sometimes I wish I had died, too. I think that God just kept me alive to let me suffer more" she said bitterly.

His eyes watched her carefully, his mouth pulled thin. He didn't say anything more. Silence fell over them and stayed for over any hour, yet Neji never stopped watching her. Tenten's eyes remained closed and her chest rose up and down in a slow, even motion. Several times Neji wondered if she had fallen asleep, but each time her hands moved or she started humming and reassured him that she hadn't.

About two hours later, Tenten stood, wiping grass blades off her pants. Neji kept sitting.

"I think I've got to go," she said quietly, "but thanks…thanks for listening. I've never really told anyone all of that. Even Sakura. It helped. So…thanks" He nodded.

She began to walk off back into the trees when Neji called out to her.

"Tenten?"

God. He seemed to love to do that. Couldn't he just say what he wanted to say when she was there and not…leaving?

"What?"

"Nice top," he snickered. Her eyes narrowed.

"I'm sure you've seen better"

* * *

Ooh. More slight fluffiness…ruined by more insults. Yay! xDDD I'm sorry if this seems a bit dragged out, but I'm only planning on writing about four more chapters (five at the max). Those will obviously be the best chapters with much more action, so I should be more motivated to get those out sooner. 8)

And we all know Neji didn't mean that last comment. He's a pervert at heart ;) I'm sure he was staring at more than just her face (lmao. I was totally thinking that the whole time. Maybe I'm the pervert xDD)

Lastly, I want to wish Neji a happy birthday! It was actually yesterday (the 3rd), but I forgot to add that there at the end on the previous chapter. Ooops. ;)


	9. Playboy Bunnies and Lingerie

I'm glad to say things are looking up for me :DD My grandfather is stable (for now) and the vacation is now going to be from the 7th-15th. So, like I said last time, unless I get a signal there won't be any more chapters until I get back 8( But I swear I'll write them and post them the minute I get home

Just so you know, I still haven't read any reviews XD So I have no idea if you like the randomness or the romance better, but from here on out the randomness will be cut down.

I was watching Naruto Shippuden 19 before this and was like ogling Neji the whole time xDD He and Tenten look so hot after the timeskip! –drools- It's helping me write this chapter xD (though this is just useless author note crap. Feel free to ignore)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

* * *

Tenten didn't see Neji again after that night. Sure, he was there in gym class, and sure, sometimes he was in the lunch lines, but he never spoke once to her that week. On Tuesday she had another nightmare and sprinted to the hill to see if he would be there. Her hopes were in vain, however, as the hill stood alone.

"Why did I even bother?" she sighed, propping herself up against the tree on the top. "It was a one time deal". But she couldn't help but to wonder if she'd made him mad. After hours of deep thought, Tenten finally concluded that this wasn't abnormal. After all, Neji had never talked to her before. Maybe she had a lucky couple of days but now things were back to the way they were supposed to be.

And so that week was both slow and sad for her, the party she knew was waiting for her only making things worse. Tenten didn't want to go to Sasuke's and Sakura's party. This mostly had to do with the fact she hated parties, period, but a party held by Sakura could only be hell. Though after four days of non-stop phone calls asking for party favor color advice, bubbling on about snacks, and endless sighing over Sasuke, Tenten wished it would be over with.

And yet, there was Neji. She hoped he'd somehow remember her invitation and come, but seeing as he hadn't spoken to her all week, she was starting to seriously doubt the realism of her hope.

* * *

As slow as the week was going, Friday came all too soon. Tenten had convinced herself the previous night that she would be sitting in a corner all by herself watching everyone but her have fun. Then she'd trudge home, unhappy and candy-less, and fall asleep. This image played over and over in her head. Having fun at the party wouldn't be possible.

Sakura, however, kept telling Tenten that she _would_ have fun, there would be lots of dancing and tons of cute boys for her to dance with.

"Sakura, how many times do I have to tell you? I've known the same guys for over five years. If any of them were cute, I think I would've seen it by now. Unless you invited some random guys we don't know, in which case I'm out for safety reasons, there will be _no one, _I repeat, _no one_ there I'd like to dance with" Tenten forced onto her friend. Sakura smirked.

"Well you said you invited Neji. He could be there" Tenten snorted.

"Yea, and I'm showing up in a stripper costume. It's not going to happen, Sakura. Face it" She crossed her arms across her chest and blew upwards into her bangs.

"That's too bad. I would've liked to see that" came from behind her. Whirling around, she found herself looking up into the face of Neji.

"God damn! Do you always have to do that? And why are you talking to me?" She quickly took a few steps back, their closeness scaring the crap out of her (yet making her spine tingle). Neji frowned.

"Am I not allowed to?

"No! Wait, yes. I mean, you've practically been ignoring me all week. What's with the convo now?"

"Well you seemed so doubtful of my presence tonight, I thought I'd assure you I'll be there. It's either that or trick-or-treating with Hanabi. And you can imagine what that'd be like" Tenten shivered, the images too horrible.

"Were you eavesdropping or something? Most people who do that are considered rude, you know" She glowered at him from underneath her bangs.

"Perhaps. But I think you'd agree I'm not most people. If I hear my name mentioned more than twice in a conversation, I get curious. Besides, you should blame your poor eyesight. I was practically right next to you the whole time"

"You know what? Just…shut up! You aren't Mr. Know-it-all!" Tenten threw her fists to her side and stormed outside to finally go home. She left Sakura standing awkwardly across from Neji.

"See you tonight" she mumbled, waving nervously before rushing off after her friend.

* * *

Sakura had caught Tenten outside the school, murdering the flowers by the sidewalk. She then convinced Tenten to come to her house to prepare for the party. It was a very painful three hours, mostly because of Sakura. Tenten herself was done in twenty minutes. Her witch costume was on and, due to the discomfort of wearing a hat on two buns, her hair was once again in a very long French braid. Black lipstick was applied (by herself, of course), as well as green eyeshadow, black eyeliner, and a fake mole. She had to admit, knowing Neji was going to be there motivated her.

Sitting on the bed, she watched as Sakura prepared her outfit. She had picked a bunny costume, though not the usual ugly ones you abused at Easter carnivals. No, this was more of a playboy bunny. Her legs were covered in fish net stockings, running up to meet a black leotard. On the back of the leotard was a cotton ball tail. A black bowtie went around her neck and a pair of floppy black bunny ears on a headband rested upon her head. Her feet held small black ballet flats.

"Er, Sakura. Don't you think that's a bit….exposing?"

"I know it is. I want Sasuke to think I look hot. Don't worry, I haven't become a slut or anything like that"

Tenten sighed doubtfully, then waited patiently for Sakura to finish applying makeup.

* * *

As if dressing wasn't bad enough, Sakura dragged Tenten to help set up at Sasuke's house two hours before the party started. They knocked on his apartment door and he opened it, dressed in his normal school clothes.

"Sasuke!! What're you doing?! We established this was a Halloween party. You're one of the hosts for christ's sake. If you aren't in a costume, then no one else has a reason to be" Sakura told him forcefully. He shrugged.

"I don't feel like dressing up for this stupid thing. I'm obviously doing it just for the project. There's no way in hell you can put me in some stuffy hot suit and make me wear it for hours" Sakura grumbled, but gave in. She couldn't beat her love to a pulp, now could she? (a/n: -chants- yes she can! Yes she can!)

"Whatever. What do you think of my outfit?" She turned, sticking her hip out seductively and batting her eyelashes.

"It's nice," was all he said with another shrug, then turned and walked back in, leaving the door open. Sakura's shoulders slumped.

"Seriously. Is he gay?" Tenten leaned over and whispered in her ear. Sakura glared. "What?! I'm just saying!"

* * *

By the time they were done decorating, Tenten had to take a towel and wipe the sweat from her underarms. They sat on his couch admiring their handiwork. The blinds had been closed to keep the remaining sunlight out, strings of lights were hung from wall to wall to give off dim lighting, fake cauldrons bubbleb, cobwebs stuck in every corner, witch and Frankenstein dummies were propped up against the wall…oh the list was endless. Who knew Sakura had so much Halloween stuff? Luckily she had prepared all the food in advance. Fake eyeballs and worms sat in decorated bowls at a table in the corner. The only other piece of furniture was the couch they were sitting on and another table with the sound system.

"Five minutes until it's time," Sakura squealed, rushing to check herself in the mirror again. Tenten just sighed and began to snack on purple chips and green salsa.

Exactly five minutes later, a knock came at the door, and after that knock came many more. The people trickled in, Sakura greeting each person as enthusiastically as the last. They eyed her costume, some reacting positively (most guys), and immediately began to dance. To Tenten, the costumes were more interesting than the people. Kiba was dressed up as Scooby Doo (no surprise there), Naruto was a pirate, Lee was a flower with the word 'youth' across his front (holy shit), Hinata was a princess, Shino was the grim reaper (he had a thing with hoods, apparently), Shikamaru was a ghost made from a sheet (too lazy to buy a costume, apparently), Ino was a cat, and Chouji was Elvis. There were many other people she didn't recognize, though, and she assumed they were all from Sakura's classes. The only person she didn't see was…

"Having fun?" came the smug voice behind her. Mouth full of chips, she could only glare. He took a seat beside her.

Tenten looked him up and down. He was a vampire. Not too original, but then again, neither was she. He had on black slacks and shoes, a loose white shirt with a black vest over it, a black cloak lined with red satin (much like hers), and of course, vampire teeth. They were obvious when he smirked. Somehow he was sexier with fangs, she decided.

Swalllowing, Tenten replied, "First, let me establish you have a problem. When you approach people you do it from the front where they can _see you._ Second, I must say you got much more into this whole costume thing than I thought you would. You weren't secretly looking forward to this, were you?" His fangs flashed again.

"Hm. You'll never know I guess. But what I don't get is why you're over here eating during a party. Your best friend's party, at that"

"If you knew a thing about me, you'd know I actually loathe parties. And you'd know that the only reason me and Sasuke even helped with this thing was because we're scared of Sakura. She's…scary" Tenten explained, pushing away the salsa bowl. It was too distracting. Neji glanced at Sakura in her bunny outfit. She saw where he was looking. "Trust me, she is"

Apparently he took her word for it because he fell silent. Tenten blushed. This was so awkward. A shrill voice saved her.

"TENTEN! I need to talk to you! Come here!" Sakura yelled, storming over and grabbing Tenten by the elbow and dragging her across the room. She mouthed 'sorry' to Neji, but was secretly relieved.

"Oh my god! I can't believe he came! Are you going to ask him to dance?" she asked in a hushed whisper once arriving in the kitchen.

"Sakura, I hate dancing. I hate parties. This one is no exception. And I can't even _talk_ to the guy without you dragging me away"

"…oops," she said quietly, embarrassed. She briefly gave Tenten an overview of the party's progress, the guests, the approvals, etc.

They walked out of the kitchen and stood together by the bar, scouting for their men. Sasuke was being emo in a corner (a/n: lmao!). It took Tenten a minute to spot Neji, but found him dancing with a blonde girl, a very pained look on his face.

"Holy shit! Sakura! You invited a Neji fangirl here?!" Tenten gasped, angry.

"I didn't mean to! I swear! She must've snuck in! Yea, that's it!" Sakura tried to protest, flushed.

"Nevermind. I'll take care of it" Tenten marched over to the two, grabbing Neji's arm and pulling him back to the bar.

"Neji, Sakura needs your help er…moving…something" Neji nodded, eager to go help 'move'.

"Neji-kins can do whatever later! We're dancing!" She grabbed Neji's other arm and yanked. Tenten yanked back.

"Hey Tenten? I'm not a game of tug-of-war, thanks"

"I know," Tenten said, gritting her teeth and pulling again, "but I'm not letting go"

A ring formed around the three, a wide-eyed Sakura up front, chewing on a nail. They started chanting things like 'cat fight' and 'bitch slap her!'. Tenten glared at them, but pulled again on Neji's arm. Damn. Those girls couldn't do squat during gym, but when pulling on a guy they had superstrength?

"Why don't you stop slut dancing on this innocent guy and let him go?" Tenten hissed.

"No," the girl growled.

"Whore," Tenten muttered.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" the girl shrieked, letting go of Neji and causing him to fly backwards.

"I _said _wh-or-e" she grinned, pronouncing the word slowly. The girl went up in flames.

"YOU LITTLE BITCH" and with inhuman speed, tackled Tenten to the ground clawing at her fiercely.

"Sakura! Holy crap, get this nut off of me!" she yelled, pinned and pathetically helpless. Seconds of fierce clawing later, she felt surprisingly light and the girl was being lifted off her by her collar. Not by Sakura, no, but by Neji.

"Than-" Tenten started, rubbing her head as she sat up, but stopped when everyone, including Neji, looked at her with wide eyes. "What? She attacked me! I swear!" She started to protest, wondering why it was so silent all of a sudden. Someone whistled loudly from the group.

"Uhm, Tenten, look down," Sakura whispered, blushing. She picked helped her friend off the floor then moved in front of her as if to block her from some attack.

"What is it- OH MY FRICKIN GOD!" Tenten's shirt was in tatters. The leather was ripped to pieces by whatever claws the fangirl possessed, leaving nothing but a very skimpy strapless bra. She quickly crossed her arms across her chest to cover herself up.

"Damn!" someone snickered. It was Kiba.

"You better shut the hell up Scooby doo! I'm going to kick your ass for this on Monday!" and she ran out the door.

"What?! All I was saying was that she had nice-" Sakura growled. It was silent again.

Turning to Neji, Sakura pleaded, "Neji, please, can you go make sure she's okay? I would but I have to stay here and keep an eye on the party. Please…she's my best friend, and even though she's tough on the outside, I'm sure she's embarrassed out of her mind right no-"

"I'll go" he said simply, cutting her off.

* * *

Tenten ran as fast as she could, covering herself with as much arm as possible. She wasn't going to cry, but she was angry and humiliated. Neji, not to mention half the school, had seen her in her lingerie. She knew the party would turn out horrible, and it did. Tenten was always right, a fact she hated.

She slowed down a few blocks away from her apartment, out of breath and nearly spent from running all that way. Her nostrils flared when she smelled smoke. That was funny…no one had a barbecue on Halloween…

Her pace quickened again, an ominous feeling in the pit of her stomach. Someone was burning their trash. Yes. That had to be it. Despite her inner arguing, she knew that this much smoke didn't come from things like those. She could only pray that…

Her legs took off running again, fear clutching her chest. Something felt wrong- terribly, terribly wrong. Was her aunt okay? She hadn't seen her all day. At this time of night she had to be…Tenten's mind numbed with the realization. Her aunt was at home.

Everything went in slow motion then. It was like an outer body experience. There Tenten was, turning the corner. There she was, eyes widening as she saw flames engulfing her enormous apartment complex. And despite the hopelessness of the situation, all she could think was 'Not again. Don't take her from me. She's all I have left'

She didn't remember running faster than she had ever run before, faster than her muscles were physically able to. She didn't remember the falling concrete pieces and fire shooting out around her. She didn't remember finding her bedroom window and jumping up, smashing the window with one elbow, causing it to bleed fiercely. She didn't remember running through her burning bedroom, searing flames burning her skin, yet not feeling it. She didn't remember running down the hallway, only to turn into her aunt's bedroom and find her limp figure on the ground. She didn't remember her wordless scream, the tears that flowed freely down her face as she realized the fate of her last remaining people on this earth who cared for her. She didn't remember the rumbling sound above her as plaster and wood came loose and began to fall. She didn't remember the fire that grew around her, trapping her, surrounding her. Nor did she remember the piece of ceiling that hit her head, knocking her to the ground.

All she remembered was darkness.

And then nothing.

* * *

Sorry if this was rushed x[ I really didn't want to go into the party scene, obviously not being able to wait until the end ;P I guess you'll just have to wait until the 15th to find out what happens ;O (unless I have time to write another chapter tomorrow)

See you then! (unless something happens) :


	10. Sedatives and New Questions

I had a surprisingly hard time writing this chapter. I'd get half-way through, loose my muse, then start something completely new. I always felt like it wasn't living up to my expectations no matter what :/ Not only that, but there were so many things I could've done from my last ending point, I just couldn't decide (it kept me up all night! yes, feel /very/ guilty xDD). In the end I went for a romantic chapter because, well, I'm a sucker for romance!! 8P Enjoy

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

* * *

It was bright. The light burned against her lids and they fluttered open.

Tenten sat up so fast the tubes in her nearly ripped out. She wasn't at home. In fact, she didn't recognize the room at all. It was white and sterile and reeked of Lysol.

Her senses were extremely slow. No matter how hard she tried to think and remember, it felt like she was swimming through chocolate pudding, minus the chocolatey goodness. There was a thick fog in her brain, and when she tried to speak it felt like her tongue was a giant shag carpet. Only after staring at the wall in intense concentration did it dawn on her that this was a hospital room. And like a chain, everything began to link…

She remembered.

She remembered it all. The party, the fight, the smoke, the window, the fire, the body, the crash. But what happened after that? Surely God wasn't cruel enough to make her heaven a hospital room. Or was this hell? That would explain a lot.

Her eyes drooped heavily as every part of her body ordered her to lie back down, but the emotional battle in her mind stopped her. She sat straight up beneath her sheet, expression blank and limbs motionless.

Then the tears fell as reality began to set in. She was alone in this world now, a world that hated her very existence. This couldn't be 'just life'. This couldn't be the hardships those adults always said happened to everyone. This didn't happen to everyone- it happened to her. All those preachings…all those story books…it was all bullshit. Life wasn't fair, she knew. But this was beyond unfair. This was punishment for something that unknowingly been committed by her. Was she like some freaking Genghis Kahn that was reincarnated to be damned to hell for slaughtering ugly Mongolian dudes?

It hurt. The loneliness, the sadness. It hurt so badly, she was afraid she was going to die. The clawing at her chest made it hard to breathe, her heart feeling constricted and making every beat painful. Couldn't heartbreak kill someone? Her life had never come so close to the suicidal line. She reached for a tube in her shoulder to escape from this place.

"Don't…" said a voice. Tenten looked up to find a very sad and weary looking Sakura in a rumpled nurse uniform. Purple bags hung below her eyes and every vein on her eyeballs stood bright red. Her mouth drooped. Setting down her clipboard, she walked to the end of her bed and sat down. A hand reached towards Tenten's, but the weapon mistress withdrew and cast her gaze away. She didn't want pity.

"Tenten…I'm so sorry. When Neji brought you and your aunt here…you were in critical condition. Your aunt was already dead. We had a hard enough time keeping you alive as it is," she sighed. Tenten looked back at Sakura, tear-brimmed eyes widened in surprise. Yet no matter the amount of scrutinizing her best friend's face received, all it gave away was exhaustion. For some reason what Sakura said triggered something in the back of her mind. But what could it be?

"…Neji?"

"Yeah. I told him to go after you when that little bitch ripped your costume off. He must've found you inside the burning apartment. Honestly Tenten…how stupid could you be to dive into a frickin collapsing inferno like that? You were asking to be killed!"

"Yeah. I was. Did you really expect me to pull up a lawn chair and watch as my aunt got reduced to ashes?" Anger and spite coated every word. It was a tone never used with her best friend before.

"Oh" Her voice sounded hurt. She was silent for a moment, then realizing the uselessness of her words, stood, smoothed the wrinkles of her skirt, and walked out of the room with her heels clacking softly against the tile. Tenten slumped back into her pillow to wallow in depression.

What was it that she was remembering? What was it that happened that she just couldn't grasp? It was so frustrating! Like picking up ice with chopsticks, no matter how much effort was put in to grab it, it kept slipping away. Tears of frustration melded with those of sadness. Damn this! Damn this sedative. She couldn't _think._

More footsteps echoed down the hallway. "Shit," she whispered, "a doctor. The last person I want to see now" Her mind whirred and she considered running for it. Instead her head rolled to one side and her breathing slowed into a deep even pattern. Closing her eyes (but leaving a small crack) she watched to see what her visitor would do.

It wasn't a doctor. It was Neji. If at all possible, he looked even more exhausted than Sakura, as though he hadn't slept in days. His outfit was the same as it was at the Halloween party, minus the vest, fangs and cape. Tenten was shocked. She nearly opened her eyes but caught herself and continued with her act. Curiosity drove her to see what he'd do next.

He stood at the doorway for a moment, watching her back (which was facing him). His eyes darted to her monitor, then he moved forward slowly, walking around the bed slowly to her front side. A sigh escaped his lips. It was sad and only further revealed the level of his tiredness. She wanted to comfort him so badly. This sleeping thing was only getting harder.

Neji crouched down before her, head at her face level. He leaned in slightly then stopped, examining her facial features which were (though she was struggling with it) still. Tenten's heart beat faster and she struggled for control, knowing it would show up on the monitor. Her breath caught for a moment. He leaned in closer still, pausing one final time as if to check to see if this is what he wanted to do.

She didn't know what happened next because her eyes closed tightly, but she felt light pressure on her lips and knew it could only be his upon hers. A wave of confusion hit her. What was he doing? What the _hell_ was he doing? She never thought of Neji as the type to take advantage of someone like that, especially her.

Tenten had to fight to keep the act up, though it was nearing impossible. Just before she was about to give up and open her eyes, he was gone. Those agonizing minutes were only a few seconds. The kiss had been short, barely more than a peck, but had felt like an eternity.

The more she thought about it, the more it bugged her. The taste…the feel…the way he'd done it. It all seemed so familiar. It tugged at that thing in the back of her mind.

And then like an explosion, the memories resurfaced, all flooding back at once. She had never really believed someone could travel back in time and see a flashback like people did in movies, but it was happening to her right then. This was real.

* * *

_Her bo__dy was rocki__ng,__ her mind drifting in and out of consciousness. __Pain.__ It was everywhere…pulsing in her head and elbow, searing up her leg, covering every inch of her skin like she was being poked by a thousand needles. Tenten opened her mouth involuntarily to cry out in pain. Her eyes struggled to __open. When__ they did, she saw Neji above her, eyes forward and mouth pulled into a tight line. He cradled her against his chest. Her aunt was over his shoulder. __The prodigy was having a hard time__ run__ning__ with the weight._

_Every second hurt. She was hardly aware, almost half asleep, struggling to remain conscious__. But her__ business was unfinished._

_"Why?" Her voice was so faint and ras__py, it shocked her. It felt as though__ a layer of soot covered her face, drying her lips and making it hard to form any words. Neji looked down at her, surprised. He didn't stop running._

_"Why what?"_

_Something warm traveled down her cheek. __A tear.__ It made her already stinging eyes burn more._

_"Why didn't you leave me there to die? Why didn't you let me die with her? I wanted…" Her throat was parched and the__ previous__ intake of smoke made her choke. She couldn't finish her sentence-her body was fighting to make her sleep again._

_He stopped for a moment, balancing himself on a slanted roof top. Slipping an arm out from beneath her, he wiped the ashy tear from her cheek._

_"Because…" Then he smirked._

_Tenten tried to glare but couldn't. The world was starting to blacken before her eyes and her eyelids drooped heavily._

_"Ass…__hole__" she breathed as her eyes shut for good. His face seemed closer the moment before he disappeared, but the pain blurred everything. It made her vision hard to trust._

_"Fate" she thought she heard him whisper. Something soft touched her lips._

_Darkness came again._

"Holy shit!" Tenten jerked up again. That's right- he had kissed her twice! Or had he? She was half delirious the first time, and just now Neji was utterly fatigued. That's right. They were both crazy when it happened. It couldn't be real. Could it?

Either way, the bet wasn't won. Though she had long forgotten about the bet, it came to her now. The deal involved a mutual kiss, something they both wanted and did to each other. If he kissed her in her sleep, that didn't count. That wasn't a world stopping fairytale kiss. But the fact that he kissed her scared the crap out of her. Her hands shook as they clutched the sheet.

A nurse walking by glanced in, stopped, then poked her head in the doorway.

"Hun? You look like you're in pain…let me give you some more stuff for that" The woman walked over to a table and picked up a needle, examining it in the light for a second.

"No! I mean…please…I don't need it!" Tenten tried to protest, but the nurse picked up her arm and poked the needle into it, injecting the liquid slowly.

"Don't worry sweetie, it'll be over with soon" She smiled reassuringly, then left.

"Damn you" The sedative coursed through her system. Tenten fell asleep thinking of Neji.

* * *

The days at the hospital were boring and agonizing. As her wounds healed, she was given less sedative and was awake and aware most of the time. The other half of the time was spent crying and dreaming more horrible things than usual, this time involving her aunt. Sakura came in daily, though Neji never showed up after the kiss incident.

They released her from the hospital when her condition was stabilized, eleven days after she first arrived. Even though she was finally free, her body was so wracked with sadness she did nothing but cry on Sakura's guest bed all day, shoveling in ice cream and watching soap opera_s. _Tenten couldn't face the hardships that lay ahead of her- going back to school, finding a home, arranging the funeral…yet they all happened in time.

The funeral was small. Kiba, Naruto, Lee, Sakura, Hinata, Ino, Shikamaru, and Neji came with Tenten. A few others that knew her aunt from work and other various places came as well to pay their respects. Sakura held her as she cried.

It was so hard to look down at her aunt's cold face. Tenten was so used to it smiling warmly, her lips covered in the oh-too-bright red lipstick. She was used those exotic hanging earrings clanging every time she swung her head or bustled about to make dinner. She remembered how her aunt sat with her for a week straight after her parents died. Her aunt helped her recover, and for a long time ran to her room when she woke up screaming from nightmares. It was because of her aunt she was able to live again. And now she was gone.

After the funeral, Tenten decided to go to school again. With Sakura's support, Tenten could bear her classes and make up the mounds of work she had missed. Though the looks everyone gave her in the hallways squeezed her heart every time she saw them. Several times she nearly broke down in the middle of class or at her locker.

It was so painful, but slowly life moved on. And that scared her more than anything.

* * *

Exactly three days before the deadline of the bet, Tenten lay awake at night. The full moon shone through the guest bedroom window. Lifting herself from the bed, she opened the window. For the first time in two weeks, she was going to visit her hill again. It was the only familiar place she had left, the only thing that hadn't changed in her life.

Wearing the pink silk pajamas Sakura loaned her, she ran through the trees, loose hair flying behind her. Some part of her was bitter and pessimistic enough to believe that her hill would become some construction site. A sigh of relief escaped her lips when she saw it hadn't.

Her moon was there. Her stars were there. Her sky was there. For first time since her aunt died, Tenten felt a sense of peace. Taking her place against her tree, she began to hum.

Over her humming she barely heard a rusting from behind her soon after. The humming stopped. The peacefulness ended. Something was about to take place. That she felt in her gut. Without moving her head or looking back, her lips softly spoke.

"Glad you're here. I have a lot of questions for you"

* * *

Okay. I'm perfectly aware that that chapter just totally sucked. But I keep thinking about the next chapter and I'm like…must…hurry xD That and I feel pressured to keep my promise that I'd finish chapters while I was on vacation (I've actually found I have /less/ inspiration here…if that's possible). I also, in case you haven't noticed, seriously hate details that don't have anything to do with a story. So I rush –shrugs-

Anyways. TBC. It might take a couple of days for the next chapter to come out for a few reasons: One, I just got home and I'm so freaking tired! 8[ Two, I am spending way more time perfecting these last few chapters so that itself should take a couple days. Three, I'm immersing myself in some new anime, and I'm the person who has to get through a whole anime series in a day, even if it means zero hours of sleep xD Sorry!

As a last note…shame on you guys! ( I get back from a week of vacation and only three added reviews? I was expecting at least two hundred! ;P Kidding about the two hundred part. But only three more? –sniffles- Thanks a lot for hurting my feelings ;o; However you can make up for it if you say nice things about this chapter ;)


	11. Answers and Water Fountains

Not much to say at this point, though I'd like to apologize for the delay. I've started to get really into Bleach anime/manga, and my grandfather died so I had to attend the funeral for a couple days.

This is the last chapter 8) I hope you enjoy! (wow…this is my shortest a/n ever)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

* * *

"That so?" Neji grunted, making his way to Tenten's side. He sat a couple feet away but also leaned up against the trunk of the tree.

She sat in silence for a few moments. Like usual, her mind was over analyzing things. It was trying to figure out the best approach to asking Neji about the kiss. At the same time, she herself was trying to find the courage to do so. Why was this so awkward all of a sudden? Before she could be herself around the prodigy. And now…

_Way to go, idiot. You freakin__g ruined everything with that_Tenten thought annoyed. It was so true. She wouldn't even _be_ in this situation if it weren't for him.

"What happened to all these questions?" he asked suddenly without looking at her.

Tenten blushed. "I was getting to that…eventually. If you'd just shut up and let me _think"_

"Ah. So that's what's holding you up…" he said bluntly. She glared.

"Why….why did you come here? Here, tonight." Her mouth finally managed to blurt out. Neji paused.

"No comment"

She wanted to hit him.

"No way! You can't do that. You _have_ to answer the question!" She yelled at him, flustered and frustrated. He was completely avoiding everything. It was only making her confusion worse.

"Says who?" He was amused. She hated that. That and the fact she had no proper answer. There really was no way to make him answer her questions.

"My….kunai?"

Neji looked at her, pointing to his head. "We've already discussed this once before"

Tenten grumbled in defeat, then stopped to plot. There had to be a way to appeal to his sick, twisted sense of humor and get him into answering.

"Fine. Let's make a deal. If you answer three of my questions, truthfully, then I'll answer any three questions you have for me, also truthfully. But no 'yes or no' answers…or 'hns'"

He wasn't replying yet. That had to be a good sign.

"Fine," came at last.

"Shake on it…" Extending a hand, she waited for him to do the same. Neji reached out and shook briefly before returning his hand to his lap. Tenten felt pathetic. When he touched her she always felt like jelly. But she now could ask him _any_ three questions, no excuses, no exceptions.

She wanted to pump her arms in success, but instead coughed quietly, thinking intensely about the first question. This was like one of those three wish deals you saw in cartoons. But in the cartoons they always seemed to mess them up. Tenten was determined not to let this golden opportunity go.

"Question number one...same question. Why did you come here tonight?"

"…." His reluctance was obvious.

"We made a deal, like it or not. You even shook on it"

"I don't have to keep it, you know. Like we confirmed before, you can't make me"

"True…but then you won't be able to ask me any questions…" she tempted him, tone sickly sweet. Apparently that was a big enough temptation, for his reply came fairly quick.

"I wanted to see how you were holding up since the funeral. And somehow I knew you were here. That enough?"

She nodded, though disappointed. He was answering he questions, but barely. None of her curiosity was satisfied, and she had gotten absolutely nowhere. And Neji wasn't breaking the deal. Damn him.

One question down.

The next ones were going to be the most interesting, yet Tenten couldn't make herself ask them. She was afraid of what his response was going to be.

"Question, uhm, two. Why…" she started, having to calm her nerves again, "why did you do that thing in the hospital?"

Neji chuckled. It shocked her. That was the exact opposite reaction from what she expected. And yet she wasn't sure if it pissed her off or relieved her more.

"What thing?" His eyes twinkled, laughing. Neji knew. Tenten knew he knew. But he was making her say it. God damn him and his stupid personality! He was _teasing_ her when she was being perfectly serious and was so nervous she felt she could faint.

"You know!" Her face reddened. "That…kiss"

"Ah" He paused, then in a surprisingly aloof manner answered with a shrug, "because I wanted to"

How could he take this so lightly? Was she the only one freaking out about the whole thing?

"That's not fair! You're breaking the deal! No way in hell is that a complete honest answer!"

"You'll never know, will you? That's the only answer I have for you right now" He was making this as painful for her as possible while giving her no satisfaction in his answers. Neji always won games. She should've known this would be no different.

Question two down. One to go.

Like any final wish, or in this case, question, Tenten took a longer time to ponder this one over. It was quite a task. The question had to be one that wasn't easily avoided, while also ridding herself of a large portion of her confusion. That was easier said than done, however.

And then she remembered the question she asked him such a long time ago, it seemed, when he rescued her from the fire. She somehow knew that was the perfect final question.

"Why did you save me from the fire? And none of that fate crap" Moments later, without even wanting to, she realized she was crying. Mentioning the fire and her aunt's death brought back so many painful memories that she had been trying to repress for the last two weeks.

Neji looked at her, face suddenly serious and somewhat pained. There was no teasing anymore. She didn't notice when he inched closer.

"Tenten…stop being absurd. Why would I let _anyone_ die?"

So that was it. He wasn't doing anything special for her. Tenten found herself even more depressed, tears flowing freely now. Of course Neji didn't like her. None of his answers gave away any of that. She was so stupid to have a hope like that. Her feelings were destined to be unknown and unreturned. Without that hope…everything just seemed emptier.

"You should've left me there. I wish you had. I was supposed to die twelve years ago, and I was supposed to die now. I would gladly trade my life for theirs. At least I deserve i-"

Maybe it was because her eyes were closed, or maybe it was because she was busy crying, but Tenten didn't notice the distance shrinking between the two. And suddenly she was being shoved roughly against the tree, his hands supporting her from under her arms. Her eyes flew open as she hit the bark and found herself looking into two very angry eyes. She didn't know what scared her the most- the closeness or the intensity that burned behind those full moon eyes. The attitude change was so out of the blue. She had never seen Neji so emotional.

"W-what the hell? Let me go!" Her legs thrashed out towards him, trying to kick him down. Neji pinned her legs down with the rest of his body, leaving nothing between their bodies but their clothes. She was panicking. "Hyuuga…let…me…go"

"Not until you let me finish the answer" His words were quiet, but powerful. He was using that deep serious voice…authoritative and commanding. It was hard to ignore.

"I really don't know why I saved you, to be honest. It was almost like an instinct…it came naturally. Without having a reason, I knew I had to save you. It was so intense…the situation…the emotions. Losing all of my common sense I went into a collapsing building and saved you. And at that time, all I could think was 'Not her. Oh god please not her'. You have no idea how sad I felt, depressed more like, at the thought you could be dead. It felt like I was losing _my_ parents all over again. But when I got you out of there and took you to the hospital…it felt so good, so right, to be carrying you like that. It was something I've never felt before. And that's when I realized that my feelings for you couldn't be just that of competitive friends. But that feeling…I didn't really know what it was. Like I told you, it was something entirely new," his anger wasn't quite gone, instead seeming to recede for now, being stored for later. Tenten didn't know if it was her hundreds of emotions finally clashing or their proximity, but it was starting to become extremely hard to think and breathe.

"When you first ran into me that day, that was the first time I'd ever really talked to you, if you can call that talking. I knew who you were, vaguely, but only from gym class and the fact we'd been in the same schools together for almost all our lives. You must've been right that day, because I really _couldn't_ handle the fact that you weren't fainting at my feet or trying to flirt with me. When I went home that night I couldn't sleep at all. I kept thinking about our meeting but didn't know why. Why couldn't I forget that girl? Surely she wasn't anything special. But despite logic you wouldn't go away"

"And so I did the only thing I could do; I talked to you again. It was against my better judgment. Like any addiction you should stay away from the thing that is causing the problem. Sometimes it felt like a magnet. I had to keep talking to you, even if only briefly. You have…no idea how utterly…_refreshing_ it was to talk to someone with an actual brain. Someone so down to earth, funny..._different_. I had to become friends with someone like that, even if it was completely out of character. It was hard, I admit, not to talk to you often. I had somewhat of a reputation, I guess you could call it, to keep up. But I couldn't not laugh with you or smile around you. Your cockiness and attitude towards me was something I'd never experienced. I was learning a whole knew range of things I never thought I could feel"

Tenten hated where this was going. Her heart was thumping erratically in her chest. It was so hot…why wouldn't he let her go before she fainted?

"When I carried you away that night, I suddenly realized the definition of everything that had happened between us in only two weeks. Without even knowing it had happened, or wanting it to happen, I realized I was starting to fall in love…with you. And that's why I kissed you. That's why I came here tonight. So don't you dare talk as though you deserve death. That makes me so angry, Tenten. I want to knock that into you but you just don't seem to get it"

Her heart completely stopped at that moment, eyes wide and limbs limp. He was such a liar. He was such an asshole! Here she was, heart as fragile as a freaking china doll, and he was picking it up and _toying_ with it!

"Shut up" Tenten whispered, a single tear following down the paths on her cheeks. It fell onto the grass softly.

"How…how dare you _lie?!_ There's no way in hell someone like _you_ can love someone like _me._ I'm not…I'm not beautiful…o-or athletic…or girly. I don't like dresses and I have zero coordination. I always embarrass myself and I attract disaster. I'm a miserable…emotional sixteen-year-old with a pathetic love life who was born alone and will die alone. Who can love an ugly orphan like me?" She was on the verge of mental breakdown, so overwhelmed with every feeling from the last few weeks all in a small moment. Tenten was sobbing now.

"You have got to stop putting yourself down like that. Number one, I think you're gorgeous. End of discussion. I've had my fair share of disaster, too. After all, I'm an orphan as well. I live with my uncle," Neji slid an arm out to brush a strand of wet hair clinging to her face aside. He returned it, still keeping her immobile, and leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers. Tenten wanted to faint now. He was so close. Too close. Their noses touched and his eyes looked directly into hers. Those beautiful white eyes. Those all-seeing eyes. She felt as though he was staring straight into her soul. The thought made her move underneath him uncomfortably.

"Mmmm…" he breathed, inhaling the scent of her shampoo that radiated from her loose hair that flowed down her back. Ever so slowly he brushed his lips along her jaw line, making her shiver. She didn't need to be held into place; even if he let her go, she'd be paralyzed.

"An orphan loving an orphan…" he paused, returning his gaze to her eyes, "wouldn't you say that's fate?"

"H-how do I know this isn't some sick joke?" She was surprised she could even say the words. Even her blood felt frozen in her veins. When he raised his eyebrows, amused, Tenten knew she had just screwed herself. Every gap between them, body and face, closed.

And Neji kissed her.

As though a dam had broken open, she found his lips moving skillfully against hers, passionately, mercilessly. This was something he had wanted. She had just given him the perfect opportunity to get it. In so many ways it was unlike the other two. One, he wasn't breaking apart. Two, there was some edge of ferocity to it. And three, there was so much emotion poured into it that that itself unfroze every part of her, sending tingles down her spine. All frustrations were being let loose.

Tenten kissed back.

Once the shock was over, she found herself unconsciously moving her lips with his, matching his emotion and passion…every ounce of it. She realized this was exactly what she dreamed of…it was so unreal. How could she, who had never kissed anyone besides her dog, be kissing _the_ Neji Hyuuga? Not only that, but be almost as good as him…though she'd never admit he was doing most of the guiding.

Feeling the response, he took his chance to further the state of things, removing both hands but pushing harder against her so his body alone could keep her in place. One of his hands gently cupped her face while the other settled on her waist. Tenten followed and wrapped both arms around his neck, pulling herself up deeper.

_How did this happen? _She couldn't help but to wonder. How could she go from a sarcastic rivalry to making out and being two seconds away from…well…"It"? Was this a dream? She was in pajamas, after all. Hardly ever having had a dream, she had no idea whether one could be so vivid, but could only hope that for once in her life, she wasn't having one.

Tenten turned her head to break away, gasping for breath. Up until five minutes ago her lungs had hardly received any oxygen.

"You still…you still haven't asked your questions yet," she pointed out, without really knowing why. It wasn't a good thing to remind someone with a mind like Neji's.

He laughed softly against her lips, eyes smiling. "Only you can think about that at a time like this". His lips moved up to skim against the bridge of her nose.

"I like it…when you laugh, I mean" she struggled to say, again left breathless just by their closeness.

"I told you," Neji pointed out matter-of-factly, "I can't help it when I'm with you"

He kissed her again, only to break away moments later. Tenten pouted inwardly.

"Question one: Do you love me?" This time she raised _her_ eyebrows.

"How could you possibly think I don't? You should know me decently enough to know I don't do this to every guy"

"Well I'm the only one who has actually said it. I don't consider that fair," he pushed.

"Fine," she mumbled, subjecting, "I love you". Then quieter, "even if you _are_ an asshole"

He smirked, as though expecting just that, then started up again, almost more possessively this time.

"You are a monster," she panted slightly, glaring. Untangling a hand, she touched her bottom lip gently. It hurt. Neji grinned. The fact that he took pride in this only furthered her conclusion that he had a sick mind.

"Question two: How _long _have you loved me?"

"…you're full of yourself," she pointed out, but as part of the deal had to answer. It took her a minute to count. "I've liked you since I was maybe…eleven, but I started _loving_ you about the same time as you did me"

"Hm," Neji pondered aloud, "you've had to wait five years longer than me. I'll have to make it up to you, then". Suddenly their positions were swapped, and Neji was back leaning against the trunk on the ground, this time having Tenten in his lap, arms laced around her stomach to hold her to him. He released them for only a moment to turn her head backwards, then they continued.

The fact that Neji had a side like this was what shocked Tenten the most. She always thought Neji would be the kind of 'straight to the point' person who would pick a girl, propose, have sex once to bear a child, then never speak to his wife again. Yet he could make someone like her feel amazingly unreal, as though she was some angel in heaven. Even though it was mid-November now, she didn't feel cold at all.

"Last question: What do you like best about me?"

"…god Neji, you _are_ full of yourself" she sighed, grateful for the break, and leaned her head back against that perfectly muscled chest. He rested cheek on her hair.

"Hm. It must be your kind, fun-loving attitude. The way you _never _say rude things and are _never_ an asshole and _never_ piss anyone off," Tenten's voiced drowned in sarcasm. "I must say you wasted your three questions. Good job, Barbie"

She didn't like the way his forehead creased. Her attempt to escape was foiled when he yanked her back down and tickled her. Curse him for figuring out her greatest weakness. Somehow they ended up toppled to the ground, Tenten kicking furiously to get away. Neji, however, bound her to his chest with his arms and they began to roll down the hill. They crashed at the bottom, her body still against Neji's. He stopped tickling her and instead laid her by his side, turning over to look at the back of her head.

"Neji?" she sighed, looking at the moon. Her eyelids suddenly felt very heavy.

"Hn?"

"Can we…er…sleep now?"

"Mhmmm...on one condition"

"What's that?" her heart stopped, perverted side trying to edge into her thoughts.

"No more nightmares"

* * *

The next day at school, after arriving two hours late due to waking in a forest and trying to sneak through town with suspiciously rumpled pajamas, Tenten told Sakura what happened. Her best friend could hardly believe the tale. After all, the idea of Neji being able to make out came as a huge shock.

"It's true. He can. And he's _amazing_ at it," she smirked. Sakura's face was hilarious, after all. It felt kind of nice to win the bet, though at this point it hardly mattered anymore. "I can only wonder what _else_ he's amazing at…" Tenten trailed off, wanting to rub this is as much as possible.

"….Tenten?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up…" Sakura stalked away, angry. She was so _sure_ she'd win that thing! After all, her beauty and wonderful personality was slowly melting Sasuke's heart. But now she had to go out with _Lee_. What would Sasuke think?!

Sakura found Lee in the cafeteria, a rather perfect situation for the bet to take place, seeing as the deal had to take place 'in front of the whole school'. Climbing the stairs to the stage, she tapped the microphone nervously.

"Uhm. Hi everyone. Can I have your attention please?" Tenten whispered something quietly to Neji, who was sitting next to her, and he raised an eyebrow. Sakura glared at her.

"I just wanted to say…" Ugh. She couldn't even _think_ the words, let alone say them. They were caught in her throat. "I just wanted to say…that I have suddenly realized my feelings for the amazing…uhm…hot…and sexalicious Rock Lee…" her voice was low and sickeningly fake. But Tenten told her she had to be extremely complimentative.

"So..uhm…Lee…would you got out with me?" Sakura swallowed, wanting to punch something very badly. The whole cafeteria went deadly silent, some comments being exchanged in undertone.

The green clad boy stood up from his seat, eyes twinkling.

"OH SAKURA MY ROSE PETAL OF YOUTH!! I THINK YOU ARE SEXALICIOUS TOO!! BUT I HAVE ALREADY FOUND A YOUTHFUL PARTNER OF YOUTH THAT I EXCHANGE YOUTH WITH. SO FOR THAT I AM SORRY AND MUST ONLY BE YOUR YOUTHFUL FRIEND!!"

The cafeteria erupted into laughter.

Sakura nearly died for three reasons. One, he had called her sexalicious…out of that ugly loud mouth. Two, he was jumping up and down and acting excited even when rejecting someone. Three, he was _rejecting her._ If Lee could get a girlfriend and was rejecting Sakura…then she might as well have a lower social status than the cafeteria's refried beans (a/n: watch out. Those things are dangerous)

When the lunch bell rang, Sakura stormed out, determined to find Sasuke and have him console her. After all, if she explained to him why she did that, surely he'd understand. They still had a chance, right?

Sasuke wasn't near his locker, nor was he already in his classroom (yes, she had memorized his schedule). He wasn't even in the bathroom. Sakura had no idea where to find her emo love. This left her feeling even more abandoned.

After the bell rang for the beginning of class, she still shuffled around every hall. After all, facing the class wouldn't be any better. She'd rather have detention.

And then she heard it.

"Oh Sasuke…my youthful love…"

"Shut up, loser. They'll hear us"

Yes! Sasuke was around here. But who was that with him? Who the _hell _was stealing her Sasuke?!

She ran around the corner, fist clenched and eyes burning, expecting to find some little hot fangirl with Sasuke. Instead it was worse. Much worse.

Replace the image of blonde flowing locks with a bowl cut, beautiful clear blue eyes with freaky pupiless ones, perfectly sculpted face with caterpillar eyebrows, and a skanky outfit with spandex, and you will have your culprit. And that culprit was making out with Sasuke by a water fountain.

Tenten, who had followed Sakura out of curiosity and concern, now stood nearly as open-mouthed as Sakura. She stepped out to put a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"See? Told you he was gay"

Sakura lost her hottie to Lee. That was a fact her body couldn't handle.

For that reason Sakura nearly died again. But instead she just had a seizure.

* * *

Ze End.

Tada! xDDD So many things to say now, though I'll cut it short. One, thanks so much for reading this…it was so fun for me to write this and I hope you got that same joy by reading it.

This chapter was a little…fluffy…I know, but I'm a sucker for fluff 8) I had to add a comical ending though, so I hoped that was okay…? Poor Sakura 8( -cheers for Lee and Sasuke quietly in a corner because it's funny-

Again, thank you thank you thank you. And please review:DDD

The one and only

Fang


End file.
